New York Yankees 2020 Projections: Gleyber Torres

Gleyber Torres enters his third season with the New York Yankees and looks to build off his impressive 2019 campaign during which he emerged as one of baseball’s youngest stars.

Gleyber Torres emerged as one of the Yankees most dangerous hitters in 2019, his second season in the big leagues. During a season that the entire roster was plagued with injuries, Torres was the most consistent hitter in the Bronx. Not only did he become a threat at the plate, but his defensive skills were also on display whether it was at second base or shortstop. Torres did it all for the Yankees in 2019 and is hoping that success will carry over into 2020.

The Yankees acquired Torres in 2016 via a trade that sent closer Aroldis Chapman to the Chicago Cubs. Two years later, he made his debut at the age of 21 and instantly lived up to the hype. In 123 games, he recorded 117 hits, 24 home runs, and 77 RBI while batting .271. He played so well during his rookie season that he earned his very first All-Star game nomination and Torres would eventually finish third in the Rookie of the Year voting.

Last year, Torres continued his success. He earned his second straight All-Star Game selection as he batted .278, hitting 38 home runs with 90 RBI. Many players in the Yankees lineup missed significant time due to injuries but Torres, along with a few other players, carried the team and stepped up in a big way.

It seems that the Yankees organization believes that Torres is a big piece of the future and trust him to be a major part of the team’s success. One sign that they have the faith that Torres can be that guy is because they opted not to re-sign Didi Gregorius this off-season. That means Torres is going to be the everyday shortstop for the Yankees rather than play 2nd base. However, in the event that he needs to, the fact that he can play both positions adds more depth to a team that, let’s face it, has a bad history when it comes to playing a full season with no significant injuries.

I believe that Gleyber Torres is going to have another great season in 2020 despite the number of games that are going to be cut from the schedule due to the outbreak going on in the world. The final stat line all depends on how many games will be played this upcoming season but I think we can see Gleyber Torres lead the Yankees offense in many of the main categories. The only stat he may come in second would be batting average because DJ LeMahieu is a hit machine and will probably bat over .300. As for Torres, there is a strong possibility that Torres will eclipse the .300 mark. He certainly developed into a power hitter and probably will not hit the same amount of home runs he did last year but he is going to go over the 20-homer plateau. I believe that Gleyber Torres will hit third in the lineup behind LeMahieu and Aaron Judge. He will definitely benefit from hitting behind those players because their on-base percentage is through the roof.  This is the main reason, as he will have his opportunity to drive in many runs especially if Gio Urshela and Brett Gardner hit toward the bottom of the lineup that will keep the lineup moving and more RBI opportunities for him.

I fully expect Torres to be the best player on the Yankees roster this season but with those expectations put on him, he cannot let that get to him. Especially being as young as he is, he can’t get cocky. That is where players underachieve and he would not live up to expectations. However, playing in New York, if that happens then that could spell the end of Torres. On a positive note, the New York Yankees organization goes about their business in a very professional way which will rub off on Torres so I don’t see him getting too big for his own good.