After the 2021 season, the New York Yankees were at a crossroads; the Boston Red Sox had ousted them in the Wild Card stage, and Gleyber Torres exemplified the team’s decline from 2019. Aaron Boone admitted it: other clubs had passed them up, and second base would become a major question mark as the team entered an uncertain offseason. Looking to strengthen their infield, Brian Cashman made a trade for Josh Donaldson and Isiah Kiner-Falefa, but Torres would be forced out of the starting lineup on Opening Day.
Since then, Gleyber Torres has emerged as the Yankees’ second-best hitter, and following a strong finish to the season thanks to an enhanced skill set, he could make another significant leap this season.
The Key to Gleyber Torres’ Brilliance Last Year
While the Yankees were disappointed last year, Gleyber Torres’ performances at the plate helped to stabilize their lineup when Aaron Judge was out for an extended period of time. He had a 123 wRC+ and 25 home runs, his best numbers since his spectacular 2019 season, and there’s a lot to like about what he accomplished. Torres’ most evident improvement came in contact quantity, as he reduced his strikeout rate from 22.6% to 14.6% and was in the 70th percentile for whiff rate (21.8%).
Hitters trade off contact quality for contact quantity, or vice versa. Due to the disadvantages of either technique, it is difficult to improve one without affecting the other. Swinging harder makes it harder to make contact, but slowing down your bat to make sure you put the ball in play can result in lower exit velocities, and yet Gleyber Torres managed to improve strikeout rate while seeing no change in his ability to generate good contact, which we can measure with xwOBACON, which stands for Expected Weighted On-Base Average on Contact.
It takes a lot of words to convey the measurement of contact quality, which involves looking at launch angles and exit velocities to determine if a batter is producing batted balls that should be hits or not. Gleyber Torres had a.385 xwOBACON in 2022 and 2023, while improving overall in terms of strikeout reduction and plate patience. Torres has swiftly emerged as one of the Yankees’ most versatile hitters, which might lead to a breakout season.
Gleyber Torres is above-average at determining optimal launch angles, imparting damage contact, making contact, and laying off bad pitches, making him an important asset to this lineup. He’s a flexible hitter who can play leadoff, middle-of-the-order, or fifth-inning cleanup. The deeper the lineup, the lower you can hit him in your order, and the depth of the lineup is determined by where he hits.
There’s a potential he’ll be even better in 2024, thanks to in-season adjustments to generate more power while remaining difficult to strike out as a result of a toe tap he began using. We’ve seen Gleyber experiment with a toe tap and other timing idiosyncrasies before, but none have produced the instant and dramatic results that this modification has, and it could be the reason to anticipate that his 2024 campaign will be his greatest.
Following the All-Star Break, Gleyber Torres emerged as one of the finest hitters in the American League, putting up gaudy stats that led me to believe he’s in line for an even better year. Despite playing 68 games during the second half, he hit 12 of his 25 home runs. He ranked 15th in wRC+ (144) and had the 10th-highest average (.302) in the American League during that time, becoming more pull-happy and driving the ball with greater consistency.
Everything improved across the board, and while it could just a blip on the radar, there’s also a potential that the changes will stick. I don’t think Gleyber Torres will have a 144 wRC+ in 2024; in fact, according to ZiPS, his 80th percentile OPS+ is 136, so we’d be pushing into 90th percentile territory with this ‘breakout,’ which makes me nervous. In 2024, I believe Gleyber Torres will have a score of approximately 130 in either OPS+ or wRC+, which would be his best record yet.
The 27-year-old is having a big year, and this is an opportunity for him to clearly demonstrate that he is a key element of a franchise, not an add-on. He’s improved tremendously since his problems in his mid-20s, and there’s still something to play for, as sources indicate that the Yankees haven’t made many attempts to extend him.
Does Gleyber Torres have a future with the Yankees?
The Yankees are in an unusual position with their payroll since they do not have many long-term commitments, but those they do have are quite pricey. Between Aaron Judge, Gerrit Cole, Carlos Rodon, and Giancarlo Stanton, they’ll have nearly $100 million committed to just four players over the next four years. Juan Soto’s imminent free agency results in another large contract, which you hope they add to their payroll shortly. It remains to be seen whether Gleyber Torres fits into those financial plans, but he will need to demonstrate that he is worth signing for the long term.
Gleyber Torres could be offered a nine-figure contract because he is a 28-year-old free agent with a track record of performance, but that depends on his 2023 season. If he repeats his performance from last year, he may accept a lower-AAV deal over six or seven years, or he may take a higher-AAV contract that allows him to return to the market with more time to earn more money. A strong season in which he sets career highs in WAR and wRC+ may secure a five- or six-year contract worth more than $20 million per season, potentially leading to his departure.
Torres has been rumored to be on his way out of the Bronx for some time, as the Yankees appear to be unwilling to retain him in pinstripes forever.
It’s odd that this comment came after 2022, a season in which Gleyber Torres posted 4.1 bWAR despite the fact that he had two years of control remaining and would clash with any plan to start one of Peraza or Volpe at second. Since then, they appear to have soured on Oswald Peraza, but the question of whether they will keep their All-Star second baseman beyond 2024 remains.
Will the Yankees extend Gleyber Torres before Opening Day?
I’m not sure, will I be 6’4 by the end of the year? The Yankees aren’t offering Gleyber a long-term contract right now, which makes sense given the unpredictability of their financial obligations in the future. You’re not guaranteed to keep Soto forever, but I’d be surprised if the Yankees let the best left-handed hitter the team has had in decades depart in free agency after trading for him. Gleyber Torres has an opportunity in 2024 to finally clear up any remaining uncertainties about his profile and make a lot of money next winter.
