Gleyber Torres, an infielder for the New York Yankees, after hitting his 35th home run of the year, takes the lead in the home run race over Gary Sanchez.
On Sunday, September 8th, Torres sent a ball that soared over the Green Monster, putting the Yankees on the board in the top of the second inning. Torres has been an underrated part of the Yankee’s power barrage this season. Last season, as a rookie, Torres hit 24 home runs in 123 games (Baseball-Reference). The two-time all-star is overachieving in his offensive game at such a young age. He is only 22 years old and he is already showing the potential of being a great player in this league for a long time. Who would have thought Torres would be the home run leader with less than a month to go in the season?
Torres is already Taking Leadership in the Yankees Offense
On a season average, Torres is batting .279, with 38 home runs, and 102 RBIs (Baseball-Reference). Torres is one of the few Yankees that has stayed healthy nearly all season and the organization should reward him for that. Hopefully, the Yankees will be able to sign him long term, due to his contract expiring at the end of the season.
Torres’s logo on Didi Gregorius’s social media pages is a baby bottle, labeling him as the youngest player on the team. Torres is already playing like he is in his prime and he might need a new logo.
When the Yankees acquired Torres in a trade with the Chicago Cubs back in July of 2016, the Yankees knew they just acquired a future star (MLB.com). They certainly stole him from the Cubs when they resigned Aroldis Chapman in the offseason. He has exceeded expectations in all parts of his game and the Yankees are lucky to have him. His unforeseen power since he has been in the big leagues has been a nice surprise.
Torres should be a big part of the Yankees success in the 2019 postseason and beyond. He has proven he can hit for average and power, even though he is only 6’1″ and 200 pounds. His game can be compared to the Astros’ Jose Altuve. They are both play second base and are five-tool players. Hopefully, he can stay healthy and be a part of the Yankees organization for his whole career. If he continues his stellar play, one day fans may see him in Monument Park in center field.