The first half of the season was a letdown for Yankees’ veteran second baseman Gleyber Torres. In a crucial contract year, hoping to land a lucrative deal after the 2024 season, Torres struggled with a disappointing .231/.307/.347 slash line before the All-Star break. His power numbers dropped significantly, and his home run production declined, marking one of the most challenging stretches of his career.
Since being benched on June 26 for his lack of hustle, Torres has a slash line of .294/.362/.416 along with eight home runs, and has reached base safely in 63 of 69 games. Torres’ play lately has been leaving fans with questions as to whether the Yankees should pivot and re-sign the impending free agent after this season.
Instead of hitting for power in the middle of the lineup, Torres now finds himself hitting for contact atop it, which leads to setting up outfielders Juan Soto and Aaron Judge. That refocus on putting bat on ball has, ironically, helped the power swing return, as evidenced by his extremely casual home run to dead center in Oakland on Sunday afternoon.
Gleyber Torres becoming a part of Yankees’ future again with leadoff surge?
Torres has become a key player for the Yankees, solidifying a leadoff role that was previously a trouble spot. Early attempts with Anthony Volpe, Alex Verdugo, and DJ LeMahieu were unsuccessful due to performance issues and injuries, forcing the team to adjust…