Why can’t the Yankees get players like this? Gleyber Torres, whose career began in the Bronx, is turning heads during his first season in Motown.
“The Detroit Tigers pulled off one of the finest free-agent signings of the offseason in second baseman Gleyber Torres (one year, $15 million), who should be in Atlanta in two weeks in the All-Star Game,” USA Today’s Bob Nightengale reported. “He not only is one of their best players, but has become a clubhouse leader.”
Torres led all American League second basemen in Phase 1 of All-Star voting. He and Baltimore Orioles’ Jackson Holliday advanced to Phase 2, which begins at noon ET on Monday and runs until noon ET on Wednesday, July 2.
“Torres’ success can also be seen in his expected stats,” MLB.com’s Brian Murphy wrote Thursday. “His .520 expected slugging percentage is a massive leap from his .368 mark with the Yankees last season.”
It’s been a while for Torres when it comes to the All-Star Game. He went to the Midsummer Classic as a rookie in 2018 and returned to the game the following season.
But after slugging a career-high 38 home runs for the Yankees in 2019, it was all downhill for Torres, who saw his power numbers dip over the next five seasons.
He finished the 2024 campaign with 15 home runs and a career-worst 136 strikeouts. And it wasn’t just Torres’ bat that gave the Yankees fits. He led American League second basemen with 15 errors in 2023 and 18 in 2024. Between the poor fielding and inconsistent hitting, the Yankees felt comfortable letting Torres walk as a free agent last winter.
In December, Torres signed a one-year, $15 million prove-it contract with Detroit. And so far the 28-year-old has demonstrated he still has plenty of good baseball in him.
Torres is on pace for career bests in batting average (.284) and on-base percentage (.388). He leads American League second basemen with 42 walks and his 43 RBIs rank second, trailing only Tampa Bay Rays’ Brandon Lowe (48 RBIs).