Gleyber Torres slashed .231/.307/.347 in the first half of 2024, leaving many to wonder if his walk year would be his last and the Yankees would move on after the offensive talent wasn’t keeping up with a player who was prone to defensive miscues and effort diminishment.
Torres admitted this week that he doesn’t want to blame anything on his pending free agency – even if he did say he thinks about the Yankees not wanting him back while he’s in the midst of struggles – but he will give credit to an old infield mate for helping him get back on track.
“During the (All-Star) break, I went to Tampa; I have a small facility I own with Gio Urshela and some people we've known for a long time who know my swing and everything like that, so I went there and tried to fix everything in three days,” Torres said before Game 2 of the ALCS Tuesday. “I just hit every day, did drills with him and the hitting coach, and tried to fix my swings and feel some confidence.”
Urshela told Torres he was rolling over on a lot of balls, and not using his good swing that saw him excel at going to the opposite field. That talk, some adjustments with Yankees hitting coach James Rowson, and Aaron Boone’s decision to put Torres back in the leadoff spot later, and he slashed .293/.361/.419 in the second half, raised his BAbip 55 points, and only grounded into one double play.
“I hit a lot in the second half and try to do the adjustment. I feel like when Booney gave me the opportunity to lead off…I was surprised, especially when it was a struggle, but I think everything worked out and it's aligned,” Torres said. “The swing feels good. I do a lot of work before the game, and when I go to the plate, I don’t think too much, just trust in myself and try to do the job. I’m still learning the game, and every day there’s something different to learn; every at-bat is an adjustment, but I didn’t do that in the first half.”
Perhaps, just like Austin Wells and a plate of home cooked chicken parm helped Anthony Volpe unlock something in 2023, it took a fresh set of outside eyes to help Gleyber tap back into his strength.
“The season is long and sometimes really stressful, so to just go to Tampa, see my friend, and do different workouts helped,” Torres said. “You just forget a couple things about baseball, and try to enjoy it, and when you get back to play, you try to do the right thing.”
Torres got on base to lead off the game in five of the Yankees’ first six postseason games, so he doing his job setting the table, and paying off the team’s faith in him.
“I never give up, but at some point in the first half, I really was frustrated; I always believe in myself, but I don't know what happened,” Torres said. “But something happened in the second half, and I enjoy it. The season is a process, and you have to keep focusing on yourself. I always believe in myself and know what kind of player I am, and I really appreciate Booney keeping me in the lineup and helping me believe in myself. If your entire organization believes in you, then you have to figure out a way to get better and help the team.”
And if this playoff run is it for Gleyber in pinstripes, well, he’s going to relish it as long as he can, especially as he tries to get to his first World Series in his third ALCS.
“I don't feel any pressure at the moment. This is one of the most important years for my career, so I just try to do the right thing and worry about free agency after the season and hopefully after the World Series,” he said. “You play to make the playoffs and hopefully the World Series, and maybe it’s my last year, but I’m going to enjoy everything. I’m really grateful to be around my teammates every day; I see them as family, and I’m just going to try to do the best I can do to bring a World Series here and hopefully win it together.”