Potential Free Agent Gleyber Torres Sets The Tone For New York Yankees
by Bernie Pleskoff · ForbesNew York Yankees second baseman, Gleyber Torres, had an outstanding American League Championship Series.
It seemed every time this old scout looked up during the Series, Torres was on base.
The right-handed hitting Torres, 27, hit .364/.400/.409/.809, with eight hits in 25 plate appearances in the Championship Series. All his hits were singles. He also walked twice.
Torres scored five runs in the five games.
if Torres continues to get on base during the World Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers, life may be a bit easier for the Yankees.
Torres will be looked upon to set the table for the Yankees offense.
Torres will be looked upon to get on base ahead of sluggers Juan Soto, Aaron Judge, and Giancarlo Stanton.
Torres has been a controversial Yankees figure among fans.
Torres is currently playing on a one-year, $14.2 million contract.
Torres can become a free agent at the conclusion of the World Series, and now has the biggest Major League Baseball showcase in which to solidify his case to be a highly sought after free agent infielder.
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More About Gleyber Torres:
Born and raised in Caracas, Venezuela, Torres signed an international, $1.7 million free agent contract with the Chicago Cubs in 2013.
Torres was traded to the Yankees in a deal that included the Cubs sending pitcher Adam Warren, outfielders Billy McKinney, and Rashad Crawford to the Yankees for left-handed reliever Aroldis Chapman.
Torres made his Yankees and major league debut April 22, 2018, against the Toronto Blue Jays.
In parts of seven big league seasons, all with the Yankees, Torres has a stat line of .265/.334/.441/.774 in 3.673 plate appearances, covering 888 games.
A Yankees All Star in 2018, and 2019, Torres has been inconsistent in his seven-year Yankees career.
Perhaps the biggest puzzle surrounding Torres deals with his power production.
Not counting the pandemic shortened season of 2020, here are the home run totals for Torres in each year of his seven-year Yankees big league career:
2018=24 homers in 484 plate appearances
2019=38 homers in 604 plate appearances
2020=3 homers (pandemic year) in 160 plate appearances
2021=9 homers in 516 plate appearances
2022=24 homers in 572 plate appearances
2023=25 homers in 672 plate appearances
2024=15 homers in 665 plate appearances
It’s baffling how Torres can drop to 9 homers in 2021, or from 25 to 15 homers from 2023 to 2024. Baffling, but it happened.
Interestingly, Torres hit .273 in 2023, and only 257, with 10 fewer homers this season.
Even with those strange statistics, Torres was awesome in the ALCS against Cleveland.
Often swinging at the first pitch from his leadoff position in the Yankees lineup, Torres was masterful at taking pitches to the opposite field.
World Series:
With the World Series now beginning against the Dodgers, fangraphs.com projects Torres to lead off against the Dodgers starting rotation that fangraphs indicates should include:
Jack Flaherty-RHP-Game 1 in Los Angeles
Yoshinobu Yamamoto-RHP-Game 2 in Los Angeles
Walker Buehler-RHP-Game 3 in New York
Fangraphs indicates the Game 4 starter will be right-handed reliever, Ben Casparius.
This old scout prefers to wait and see how the World Series unfolds regarding the Game 4 starter. But yes, it could be a Dodgers bullpen game.
To be sure, the Dodgers starting staff will not resemble Koufax and Drysdale at the top, as it did in the “good old days” of Yankees-Dodgers World Series clashes.
Torres makes good contact, and his walk rate is acceptable.
This past season, when he hit .257. Torres drew 65 walks, while striking out 136 times in his 665 plate appearances.
Gleyber Torres should be able to use his good bat control to make good contact, and take pitches all over the diamond against the Dodgers.
When the World Series is over, the Yankees will have a decision to make about free agent Torres’ future with their club.
Torres will have a decision to make about his future with the Yankees.
Much will depend upon how well Torres sets the tone and pace for Yankees sluggers from his leadoff position in the lineup during the World Series.