Gleyber Torres is the latest dynamic, home-grown talent from the Yankees farm system that is here to stay.
The future is now for the New York Yankees. Much has been made by the offseason splash of reigning NL MVP Giancarlo Stanton joining the Bronx Bombers. However, it is the trades the Yankees did not make and their propensity to grow the farm system that could potentially set up the second coming of a new dynasty.
Stanton is under contract for the next few seasons, Aaron Judge is in just his sophomore year, Didi Gregorius is on pace for 40+ home runs, and now Gleyber Torres is the latest Yankee to send shockwaves throughout the baseball world.
Through 15 games in his major league career, Torres is batting a robust .327 with two homers, 11 RBI, a .857 OPS and one walk-off home run. On Sunday afternoon, Torres took the Indians’ Dan Otero deep for a three-run homer in the bottom of the ninth inning.
Much has been made about the hotshot prospect. The Yankees’ original plan was to keep him in the minors for another season and gradually bring him up to the show.
More from Yankees News
- Did Yankees troll Jon Heyman with Aaron Judge contract tweet?
- Matt Carpenter leaving Yankees for massive raise is hard to argue with
- Yankees top prospects butt heads after Giants’ gritty win over Commanders
- CC Sabathia defends Yankees’ massive Aaron Judge contract
- Scott Boras closed Yankees-Carlos Rodón deal from Fenway Park, put cherry on top
Neil Walker had been signed during the offseason to provide depth and was projected to be the second base starter. Walker has struggled, batting .189 without any home runs and slugging just .222.
Torres was lighting up Triple-A with a .347 batting average, and it would not have helped his development to languish in the minors. Since the organization called up Torres, he has not disappointed. Gleyber has secured the everyday second base role showing good range and a strong arm on defense while providing power at the bottom of the lineup. Torres has slashed .327/.357/.500, and the Yankees are 14-1 in his starts.
As the season progresses, Torres will need to make improvements on his plate discipline. In 52 at-bats, over half, Torres has hit behind the count at 0-1, 0-2 or 1-2. He needs to swing at more strikes and draw more walks.
This will allow Torres to be better on the base paths, get steals and score more runs. Also, if Brett Gardner struggles, Torres could supplant him at the leadoff spot.
Next: Interview with Tim Kurkjian of ESPN
If Torres is consistent throughout the year, the Yankees could potentially feature baseball’s best lineup: Judge, Stanton, Gregorius, Gary Sanchez, Aaron Hicks and Torres — that’s a nightmare for opposing pitchers!