With the New York Yankees letting Didi Gregorius walk in free agency, where he subsequently sign with the Philadelphia Phillies, they placed a lot of trust and confidence in Gleyber Torres, their young stud. Torres, who has questionable footwork and struggles with inaccurate throws at times, is being asked to take over the most important defensive position in the infield.
While Torres has little trouble at the plate, his defense could be a significant issue for the Yankees moving forward. With the 2020 season being slashed due to the coronavirus, players are preparing to suit up for a minimal number of games. The minimum currently sits at 48, with a postseason that would last beyond October.
The New York Yankees needed to see Gleyber Torres for an entire season at SS:
One byproduct of this reality is a smaller sample size for Torres at shortstop. The Yankees were banking on a large sample size of reps to evaluate the position this upcoming off-season. With players like Francisco Lindor possibly available in free agency or in a trade, determining whether Torres can remain at shortstop is a big question for the future. DJ LeMahieu also plays into this equation, as he is in the final year of a two-year contract he signed with the Yankees in 2019.
Torres did play 77 games and 659.2 innings at shortstop in 2019. He committed 11 errors and logged a .961 fielding percentage. He ranked below average in most categories defensively, allowing -2 defensive runs saved above average at SS and .26 at 2B.
One additional thought is that Torres isn’t elite at second base either, which really is a testament to his deficiency on defense altogether. He needs to work on footwork and consistent throws to cement himself in the infield.
On a brighter note, if Torres can manage to solidify the shortstop position and becomes a long-term option there, the Yankees can begin to fill second base and first base accordingly. LeMahieu is traditionally a second baseman and is one of the best defensive players in the MLB; Luke Voit is also a capable first baseman with a slugger mentality at the plate.
A lot relies on Torres developing in his new role, and if he doesn’t, the Yankees will face a number of struggles in the near future.