Torres trained in Venezuela with Ciro Barrios, who in 2012 had Franklin Barreto sign with the Blue Jays for $1.7 million. (Editor's note: Barreto later played for the Oakland A's.)

In 2013, Torres signed with the Cubs (see Transactions below).

In 2014, Baseball America rated Torres as the 23rd-best prospect in the Cubs organization. They moved him up to #8 in the winter before 2015 spring camps opened.

In 2016, they had Gleyber as the #1 prospect in the Cubs' farm system.

And in both 2017 and 2018, Torres was the #1 prospect in the Yankees organization.

Gleyber is a smart, savvy player with good instincts in all phases of the game and the potential for five tools that could be closer to average or better.

Torres has natural leadership traits and carries himself with confidence. He has that "it" factor that sets him apart even though his plus tools are not loud tools (a la Kris Brant of Addison Russell).

Gleyber carries himself like a veteran. He looks, acts and moves about like a veteran—even at 19 years old, his age in 2016.

2016: As the youngest player in the Arizona Fall League, Gleyber Torres was also its best.

The Yankees prospect was honored as such at Scottsdale Stadium, where he was presented with the Joe Black MVP Award. En route to his MVP honors, Torres also led the league in hitting, earning him the EyePromise Vizual EDGE PRO Batting Title Award.

"Before I came here, I prepared myself very well," said Torres. "I always prepare."

Only 19, Torres hit .403 to become the youngest batting champion in the history of the league. In addition to his league-best average, Torres paced the circuit in on-base percentage (.513)—thanks in part to a 14-8 walk-to-strikeout ratio—and OPS (1.158) and finished second in slugging (.645). He tallied 25 hits, including three home runs, four doubles and one triple, and scored 15 runs in 18 games for Scottsdale. (Mike Rosenbaum - MLB.com)

In 2017, Gleyber was named the James P. Dawson Award winner, an honor given annually to the outstanding Yankees rookie in Spring Training.  

The Dawson Award was established in 1956 in honor of James P. Dawson (1896-1953), a boxing editor and baseball writer who began a 45-year career with The New York Times as a copy boy in 1908.  (Kruth - mlb.com - 3/27/17)

In 2017, there were two weeks remaining until Opening Day when bad news forced the Yankees to adjust one of their stars' travel itineraries. Didi Gregorius was boarding a flight in Los Angeles, where he'd injured his right shoulder playing in a World Baseball Classic exhibition. Ronald Torreyes would fill in admirably while the Yankees waited for their starting shortstop. But behind closed doors, there were members of the coaching staff who lobbied for Gleyber Torres to leap from Class A Advanced ball to the Majors.

GM Brian Cashman resisted the temptation to make such an aggressive promotion then, but as the Yankees look to plug vacancies at both second and third base for this upcoming season, there is a legitimate chance that they begin 2018 with the 21-year-old Torres—currently rated as the game's No. 2 prospect by MLB Pipeline—playing a key role.

"They wanted him," Cashman said. "I can understand why, but you take careful steps when you have that type of ceiling. At that age, he had never played in cold weather in his career. I didn't want him drinking out of a fire hose in April."

Coming off a stellar showing in the Arizona Fall League, where Torres was named the youngest MVP in the circuit's history, he posted a strong .273/.367/.496 slash line in 32 games at Double-A Trenton. At that time, Yankees vice president of baseball operations Tim Naehring passed through Trenton and told Cashman, "This guy is ready to go, from my perspective, any time you want."

Naehring's assessment was spot-on. Promoted to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, Torres hit .309/.406/.457 in 23 games before his season ended on June 17 in Buffalo, when he injured his left (non-throwing) elbow on a head-first slide into home plate. Tommy John surgery was required. Had Torres not attempted to score from second base on that Mark Payton single to right field, he likely would have made his Major League debut in a matter of weeks.

"You may very well have seen him as the third baseman or the DH," Cashman said. "It may have prevented us from trading for Todd Frazier, who knows? We never did find out, because he didn't get more time." With Torres expected to make a full recovery in time for Spring Training, his arrival in the Bronx appears inevitable.

"He's healthy right now," Cashman said. "He wanted to play winter ball. We wouldn't let him. He could go play winter ball right now, but we said, 'No way.' He'd just gone through a successful rehabilitation, and he wants to get at-bats. We said, 'Patience is a virtue.'" (B Hoch - MLB.com - Jan 4, 2018)

April 13, 2018: Yankees GM Brian Cashman has wondered how the 2017 season would have been altered had Gleyber not attempted a head-first slide into home plate. The top prospect's promotion seemed to be inevitable, and his presence may have removed the need for a July trade that delivered veteran infielder Todd Frazier to The Bronx.

In Cashman's estimation, Torres had "conquered" the Eastern League and was beginning to do the same in the International League when his season ended abruptly on the afternoon of June 17, when he attempted to score from second base on a hit to right field. With Torres again raking for Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, could he provide the spark that the Yankees need?

According to Ken Rosenthal, if Torres remains in the Minors until April 18, he would have spent 20 days in the Minors. As a member of the 40-man roster, that would delay Torres' free agency an additional year until the offseason of 2024-2025, crediting the Yanks with six-plus years of control (the rest of 2018 plus six more) rather than just six.

Anything less than 20 days in the Minors would not count as an optional assignment, which would credit the player with retroactive service time. Regardless, Cashman has repeatedly stated that the service time consideration is "not part of my evaluation process."

"We're trying to win games," Cashman said. "Every win for us is valuable." Rated as the No. 5 prospect in baseball by MLB Pipeline, the 21-year-old Torres has hit well through seven games at Triple-A, prompting speculation that he could supplant Tyler Wade in the Yankees' infield.

Torres has batted .370/.379/.556, stroking 10 hits in 27 at-bats with a triple, homer and six RBIs. He went 2-for-3 in Scranton/Wilkes-Barre's 11-1 victory at Charlotte on Thursday, and he's played shortstop (three games), third base (three games) and second base (one game).

 "I think if they called him up, he could definitely compete up there now," RailRiders manager Bobby Mitchell told the Scranton Times-Tribune. "There's just certain things for him to become the player he needs to become and can become. Things that he needs to refine and get better at. But it's not just about hitting when you go up there. It's about every aspect of the game that you need to master. And he's trying and he's doing a great job and he's moving right along." (B Hoch - MLB.com - April 13, 2018)

MLB debut (April 22, 2018): Torres made his debut at 21 years and 130 days against Toronto as the Yankees had an all-under-30 lineup when facing the Blue Jays. 

July 2018: Promoted to New York in late April, Torres became the fourth Yankees player to be named an All-Star at 21 or younger, joining Joe DiMaggio (age 21 in 1963), Mickey Mantle (ages 20-21 in 1952-1953) and Willie Randolph (age 21 in 1976).

In all, Torres hit 24 home runs in 2018, the second-highest total by any Yankees player in a season before turning 22. The only Yankees youngster with more homers? That would be 21-year-old DiMaggio, with 29 in 1936.

"It's impressive," Aaron Judge said after Torres' two-homer game on April 4. "He can use the whole field and uses it with power, especially for a guy who plays second and shortstop. He can hit homers to left field and spray doubles on the right-field line. It's impressive what he can do at such a young age."

Torres had two multi-home run games in 2018, becoming the second Yankees player with multiple multi-homer games before turning 22, joining DiMaggio, who had three.

Not only did Torres hit multiple home runs in games, he had a streak of homers, going deep in four straight games in late May. He was the first player age 21 or younger to homer in four straight since his teammate Giancarlo Stanton in 2011. The only other players that young with a four-game home run streak in the live ball era (since 1920) were Miguel Cabrera (2004), Albert Pujols (2001), Andruw Jones (1998), Jack Clark (1977) and Orlando Cepeda (1959). Torres is the youngest American League player with home runs in four straight games.

Torres’ successes in 2018 were recognized in the form of a number of honors, including an AL All-Star team nod. He was also honored as the AL Player of the Week twice, in May and September, and he was the AL Rookie of the Month in May. (Sarah Langs-April 22, 2019) 

July 4, 2019: Gleyber was added the AL All-Star roster. Torres earned an All-Star nod during his rookie campaign last season as well, making him just the third Yankee in history, alongside Mickey Mantle and Joe DiMaggio to make multiple All-Star teams before turning 23. This year, he’ll take the place of the Rays’ Brandon Lowe, who went on the injured list with a bruised right shin.

Oct 12, 2019: If you're a professional baseball player, all eyes are on you at all times. And if you make it to the postseason, the focus is even more intense. Your PARENTS might be there, in the stands, watching with bated breath as you stand in the batter's box.

Will you come through, and make Mom and Dad proud? Yankees phenom Gleyber Torres came up and blasted a run-scoring double to stake New York to a 1-0 lead on the Astros in Game 1 of the ALCS, and his dad was LOVING IT.

Eusebio Torres is hyped, folks. He's living the dream of every parent.

Flash back to when Gleyber was a kid—which wasn't too long ago, considering he's only 22. Eusebio was probably out watching his son on the ball fields, shouting encouragement from the stands as Gleyber began doing things that made people take notice.

And now, in the second postseason of his young career, he's doing this on the biggest stage.

Oh, but young Gleyber wasn't finished. In the sixth inning, with the Yankees still holding that 1-0 lead he provided, he blasted a homer to left field to double the advantage to 2-0.

Yes, Dad Torres was filming this moment. How could he not? And, credit to him, he kept his phone dutifully in video mode, documenting the moment his son continued his rise as an October hero for the Yankees. Dad went absolutely bananas in the stands, too.  (CUT4 - MLB.com - Oct 4, 2019) 

2019 Season: Gleyber replayed the moment in his mind countless times as he prepared for the 2019 season, powering his sets in the weight room and his drills in the batting cage. It was a slow grounder to third base, scooped by Eduardo Nuñez and fired across the infield to Steve Pearce, allowing the Red Sox to celebrate their ALDS victory on the Yankee Stadium infield. The outcome stung everyone in a Yankees uniform, but arguably no one took it harder than Torres.

“I was the last out in that series,” Torres said. “For sure, I felt really bad. After that season, I went home and I never forgot that moment. I feel bad; I feel frustration. I just took that moment personally and just take advantage of that. During my offseason, I prepared really, really, really good to help my team all this season.”

The 22-year-old Torres enjoyed a terrific 2019 campaign, making his second consecutive All-Star team and standing as the only member of the Opening Day lineup not to land on the injured list. Torres belted a career-high 38 home runs, joining Robinson Cano (2013) as the only middle infielders to lead the club in homers. Torres was the second-youngest Yankee to hit at least 30 home runs in a season, behind only Joe DiMaggio, while his 90 RBIs were the most by a Yankee age 22 or younger since Mickey Mantle collected 102 in 1954.

“Gleyber had a great offseason,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. “There were a couple of times where he played through some things, and he would always talk to me about how he worked really hard all winter to put himself in a position to be there every day and to continue to build off of last year.”

GM Brian Cashman said that Torres and DJ LeMahieu were the driving forces behind a club that posted 103 regular-season victories. The team then swept the Twins in the ALDS before falling to the Astros in a six-game ALCS.

“He does it with a smile,” Cashman said. “You see the personality playing out while he's consistently having success. It's a talent that very few possess.”

Torres’ consistency won him an ardent fan in Aaron Judge, who remarked, “I've never seen anything like Gleyber. Especially at his age, 22, to be doing what he's doing in the big leagues is something that's unheard of,” Judge said. “When I was 22, I was playing in Class A ball in Charleston, South Carolina, not nearly on as big a stage and facing the best arms in the biggest situations in the world.”

What went right in 2019?

Torres set career highs in every offensive category, batting .278 with 96 runs, 26 doubles, 38 homers, 90 RBIs and 48 walks in 144 games. Of his 38 homers, 21 came against the AL East.

Torres led the Majors with eight multi-homer games, tying a Yankees franchise record shared by Babe Ruth (1927), Mickey Mantle (1961) and Alex Rodriguez (2007). Torres hit 20 of his homers at Yankee Stadium and led the Majors with a .462 on-base percentage in June. He caught fire in August, slugging 13 homers and reaching base in a career-best 22 consecutive games from Aug. 12-Sept. 4. 

What went wrong in 2019?

As impressive as Torres’ offensive performance was, his baserunning and defense continued to be areas in which the Yankees will look for improvement. Torres committed 20 errors during the regular season, 11 at shortstop and nine at second base. He committed two of the Yanks’ four errors in an ugly ALCS Game 4 loss to Houston. 

Best moment in 2019?

Before Game 1 of the ALCS, Torres told Judge that he would be claiming the team’s ceremonial championship belt that night, indicative of the game’s top performer. He backed up that boast by going 3-for-5 with a double, homer and five RBIs in the Yankees’ 7-0 victory over the Astros.

“I just go to home plate believing in what I can do,” Torres said. “And each opportunity I get, I just believe in myself. I just like to help and be confident.” (B Hoch - MLB.com - Nov 7, 2019)

Sept. 24, 2020: Special Olympics announced that MLB All-Stars Gleyber Torres and Willson Contreras have joined the ranks as Special Olympics Global Ambassadors. They mark the first MLB players to become Global Ambassadors of the movement. Both young baseball stars hail from Venezuela and are bilingual, positioning them to build bridges of inclusion for people with intellectual disabilities that span the Americas.

Gleyber has been quick to get involved in the team’s philanthropic endeavors and is an advocate for health, wellness, and fitness. While this marks Torres’s introduction to Special Olympics, he is no stranger to giving back.

Earlier this year, Torres was a recipient of the Thurman Munson Award, an honor annually presented to players who inspire others with their performance on and off the field. Torres was honored for donating his time to helping Spanish-speaking students in New York Public Schools learn English and visiting with numerous children receiving cancer treatments.

“I couldn’t imagine a greater honor than being welcomed into the Special Olympics family as a Global Ambassador,” said Torres. “I am excited to hit the ground running and lend my platform to Special Olympics athletes to spread inclusion for people with intellectual disabilities in New York, Florida, Latin America and beyond.”

Since making his MLB debut in April 2018, Torres has made the All-Star team twice, the third Yankee in history to do so before turning 23. With 65 career home runs, he has hit more than any middle infielder in MLB history through their first two seasons.

2020 Season: Setbacks regarding health and performance last season have naturally raised questions. The 2020 season saw Torres play in 42 games as he spent time on the 10-day injured list with a strained left hamstring. Over 136 at bats, Torres accumulated 11 extra base hits with only three of them being home runs according to Baseball-Reference.com. The statistical declines in several offensive categories were obvious, but many were quick to surmise it was due to injury, the abbreviated season, poor conditioning, and the inability to get into a rhythm.

Torres’ defense was a topic of conversation as well. In 40 games at shortstop (321 innings) during the 2020 season, Torres posted a -9 Defensive Runs Saved (DRS) and -5 Ultimate Zone Rating (UZR) according to FanGraphs.

In 138 career games at shortstop (1,132.1 innings), Torres has a -12 DRS and -9.7 UZR. He also made 25 errors at shortstop with nine occurring during the 2020 season. Over the course of the 2018-2019 seasons, Torres had played second base in 174 games (1,463 innings) in which he posted a -7 DRS and -12 UZR accompanied by 21 errors.

Torres is still learning on the job. He has played 309 games at the Major League level, which is less than the equivalent of two full seasons. Even though he has been mesmerizing with countless impressive performances, Torres is still a work in progress on multiple levels. The 2020 season taught him the importance of preparation, conditioning, and the ability to adjust regardless of the situation. 

2021 Season: Torres struggled even more so in 2021, hitting .259 with a dreadful .697 OPS. In 169 games spanning the 2020-2021 seasons, Torres homered only 12 times. His barrel %, exit velocity, launch angle, and hard hit % have all fallen off considerably compared to 2019, not to mention his struggles in the field as well. (Lucas Spence - Feb. 19, 2022)

2022 Season: Torres, 26, slashed .257/.310/.451 with 24 home runs. He ended the year 6th out of all 2B in wRC+ with 115 and 5th out of all eligible 2B for OPS with a .761. He also improved tenfold on the defensive side of things, as he was tied for 5th best in baseball, with 9 DRS at the position.

Torres played for Venezuela in the 2023 WBC.

“Amazing, the best moment of my life playing baseball,” he said. “It was really great, the atmosphere, the people, the energy was really amazing. The energy when you play in those situations is just unreal.”

Torres went to say “no, not even close” when asked if he’s had a comparable experience on the field, though he added he’s yet to play in a Fall Classic in the Bronx.

“I don’t know how a World Series is in New York,” he continued. “I think it’s awesome, too, but the WBC is amazing. It’s another level.”

Torres only went 1-for-10 in the WBC, but he feels like the high-intensity WBC games put him ahead of schedule for the regular season.

“It’s a little bit different than a normal spring,” he said. “I felt like those kind of games and situations helped me because it’s like World Series, playoffs every day.” (Gary Phillips - Mar. 21, 2023)

2023 Season: Stats:.273 average, 596 AB, 90 runs, 163 hits, 28 doubles, 2 triples, 25 HR, 68 RBI, 67 BB, 98 K, 13-for-19 SB, .800 OPS, 158 games

Analysis: Torres’ occasional defensive and baserunning gaffes are mindboggling, but he was the Yankees’ only consistent offensive threat other than when Judge was healthy. The Yankees looked into trading Torres the last two winters, but didn’t make a deal because his stock was down. Now that it’s up, this offseason would be a good time to pull the trigger on a trade if management isn’t planning on keeping Torres beyond 2024, his walk year to free agency. (Randy Miller - Oct. 8, 2023)

In 71.3% of his 157 games, Torres recorded a hit (112 times). He also notched 46 multi-hit games in 2023 (29.3%).He went yard in 15.3% of his games last season (24 of 157), 3.7% of his trips to the dish.Torres scored in 71 games last season in 157 tries (45.2%), including scoring multiple runs in 10.2% of his games (16 times).He plated a run 46 this year in 157 tries (29.3%), including plating multiple runs in 12.7% of games (20 times) and producing three or more of his team’s runs on two occasions..In 81 of 157 games a year (51.6%), Torres was set down on strikes at least once, and 15 of those games (9.6%) included an effort that resulted in two or more punchouts. 

Fathers of Yankee stars are dancing their way through New York’s postseason run: 

The Yankee dads’ popular dancing and chanting celebrations after each playoff clincher have gone viral. They’re the mastermind of Juan Jose Soto, who is the unofficial captain in the team’s family section overseeing all pump-up routines. 

The Volpes, who are local to the area, come to a lot of Yankee home games and have gotten close to the Sotos and Gleyber Torres’ family — who also attend frequently — as a result. Jose Soto, who has always been animated in the stands, started upping the ante in the postseason, getting Michael Volpe and Eusebio Torres, Gleyber’s father, to join in his dance, which Jose said in Spanish is an “artistic presentation” of footwork and chants.

The Yankee Dads dance, Eusebio Torres said, has common elements from Latin American winter ball, making it “easy to catch the rhythm” for parents from those countries. The Yankees will play in their first World Series since 2009 starting on Friday at Dodger Stadium. Jose Soto and Eusebio Torres flew out with the families on Wednesday. 

While there may not be time for practice, the trio are hopeful there’s a lot more dancing in the immediate future.

“Our intention is to cheer and motivate our boys, to let them know they aren’t alone,” Eusebio Torres said. “We want more people to join, so it’s a ritual in the games won, a way for us to celebrate. “We will dance in Los Angeles and we will continue dancing in New York.” (Ghiroli - Oct 25, 2024 - The Athletic)

We asked some of the Yankees and Dodgers in this year’s World Series for their current “hype song,” or what they listen to get in the zone before they head out on the field. Grove said, “Grove Street Party” by Waka Flocka. That was courtesy of Gavin Lux. When I debuted in 2022, it was my fourth start of the year, and I didn’t have a walk-up song, so they played whatever. And Gavin came up to me and asked “Why do you not have a walk-up song?” I was like, “I don’t know, I just don’t really have one.” I guess he texted someone. Before my next start, I heard it come on, and I looked back at him and he was laughing. (Oct 28, 2024 - The Athletic)

Jan 7, 2025: The city of Maracay, Venezuela, has a special place in Tigers lore. It’s where Miguel Cabrera was born and raised, and his 16 seasons in Detroit helped forge a connection between the two. But it also was the home of several other former Tigers, including former All-Star Carlos Guillén, right-hander Aníbal Sánchez and former Tigers prospects Angel Nesbitt and Yorman Bazardo.

In that sense, maybe it was destiny that Gleyber Torres would end up joining the Tigers when the former Yankees All-Star second baseman hit free agency looking for the right place to have a bounceback season. Torres was born in Caracas but moved to Maracay at age 14 to enroll in a baseball academy and improve his chances at a lucrative pro contract. The Tigers haven’t had a prominent Venezuelan player since Cabrera’s retirement. With Torres’ arrival on a one-year, $15 million contract, the connection is restored. “I feel happy to get this opportunity to play in this great organization,” Torres said on an introductory Zoom call with reporters shortly after the signing. “I've been talking with Miggy, and I'm real excited to get to my team, just ready to go.”

The connection between Torres and Cabrera was natural, and they struck up a friendship from Torres’ arrival in the big leagues in 2018. Torres was among the top prospects in baseball at the time, a slick-hitting shortstop whose power eventually surpassed everyone’s lofty expectations.

The Yankees had acquired him from the Cubs for Aroldis Chapman in 2016, then plugged him into their middle infield a year later. The Tigers coveted him under then-general manager Al Avila, enough to ask for him in trade discussions for former Rookie of the Year pitcher Michael Fulmer, which never came to fruition. Avila wasn’t the only one trying to get Torres to Detroit.

“Since 2018 when I came to the big leagues, I've had a really good relationship with [Cabrera],” said Torres. “When we played against them during the season, he always played around with me and told me to come to Detroit: 'You're going to see a really good team.' And then he always just laughed.”

The Tigers never got the prospect, but they’re getting the potential bounceback story. And when Torres was ready to make the commitment to the Tigers, Cabrera -- now a Tigers special assistant -- reached out.

“He called me and gave me really good [info] on the team and the city,” Torres said. “I feel really happy. I [also] have a really good relationship with [former Tiger and fellow Venezuelan] Victor Martinez, and he told me really good things about Detroit.”

It might not be a long stay for Torres in Detroit, but the Tigers are banking on it becoming a productive one. He hit free agency coming off his worst season by many metrics since 2021, including a 101 OPS+ that essentially put him barely above league average for offensive production.  The Tigers saw an opportunity for the kind of bounceback season they’ve enjoyed on the pitching side in recent years with Jack Flaherty and Michael Lorenzen. Torres saw a place where he could work with coaches, including infield coach Joey Cora, on recalibrating his value.

“I [was] just looking for a one-year deal because I really believe in myself,” Torres said. “I always bet on myself. I just tried to find the right place to play one year, and I had a few opportunities with other teams, but I'm just looking for a young team, especially Detroit.

"The group looks really tight, really looks like family. How they played the second half of the season was really impressive. How they played in the playoffs for the first time in many years, it really motivated me to get the opportunity to play here. I'm just really excited.”

If he can get back to his All-Star level, Detroit -- and Maracay -- will be, too. (J Beck - MLB.com - Jan 7, 2025)

TRANSACTIONS

July 2013: Gleyber signed as a free agent with the Cubs organization, via scouts Louie Eljaua and Hector Ortega, out of Venezuela. Torres signed for $1.7 million.

July 25, 2016: The Cubs acquired Aroldis Chapman by sending four players to the Yankees: pitcher Adam Warren and prospects Gleyber Torres, Billy McKinney, and Rashad Crawford.

When negotiating the Chapman deal, Yankees GM Brian Cashman reportedly was given a choice between Torres and Eloy Jimenez . . . and he chose Torres.

Jan 15, 2021:  Torres and the Yankees avoided arbitration, agreeing to a one-year contract worth $4 million.

Jan. 28, 2023: The New York Yankees and infielder Gleyber Torres agreed to a one-year deal avoiding arbitration. The deal is worth $9.9 million.

Jan 11, 2024: Torres and the Yankees avoided arbitration agreeing to a one-year deal for $14.2 million.

Oct 31, 2024: Torres chose free agency.

Torres is a steady player and a decent righthanded hitter. He has potential for five average-or-better tools, including his hitting tool, which rates a plus 60 on the scouting scale. His power is his only big league average tool (a 50 or maybe 55). It's pull power now, but with his knack for the barrel and all-fields approach, more power is in abeyance.

He has a clean, compact, low-maintenance righthanded swing with good bat speed. He is developing gap power that is aided by very strong legs, for one thing. And he is balanced at the plate.

He has enough strength to allow him to drive mistakes to the gaps and fight off pitchers’ pitches, impressively controlling the strike zone. He’s willing to draw walks and is going to be an above-average hitter with slightly above-average power down the line. He improved his power as he learned to pull the ball with backspin, while also hammering the ball to the opposite field. His all-fields approach is impressive.

Managers and coaches are very impressed with how rapidly Gleyber can identify the way pitchers were working to get him out, then adjust and close those holes. That showed up both over the course of a season and during individual games. (Spring, 2019)

Gleyber projects to improve his power numbers about every year. For now, he mostly just works the gaps, driving the ball hard to all fields and pulling the ball for any home runs.

Torres shoots line drives to the opposite field with a plate approach some have compared to Derek Jeter's. Torres describes himself as a disciplined hitter who looks for different holes in different situations. He can make adjustments from at-bat to at-bat.

Torres has impressive hand-eye coordination to put the ball in play. However, he can be a front-foot hitter at times, with a tendency to pull off the ball on occasion.

Gleyber has good bat-to-ball skills with his ability to stay short to the ball and good hand-eye coordination. He is a selective and patient hitter who hits line drives into the gaps and has the ability to drive the ball the other way. He is a tough at-bat for pitchers to get out.

May 6, 2018: Torres knocked a walk-off home run off Dan Otero on May 6 for his second career home run. At 21 years, 144 days old, Torres became the youngest player in franchise history with a walk-off home run, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.

May 26, 2018: Rookie second baseman Gleyber Torres homered in four straight games, becoming the youngest American League player ever to do so.

June 4, 2018: Gleyber's home run evened the score in the third inning. With the one-out blast, Torres became the first Yankee to hit 10 or more home runs before his 22nd birthday since Mickey Mantle did it in 1953.

June 13, 2018:  Gleyber and Juan Soto of the Nationals have a combined age of 41 years, 48 days, the lowest by opposing players to homer in the same game since Mike Tiernan and Egyptian Healy on May 19, 1887. 

August 14, 2018: Torres is the seventh MLB player in history to hit at least 18 home runs in his first 75 games before turning 22. And he was voted onto the AL All-Star team via the player ballot, becoming the fourth Yankee named to the All-Star team at 21 or younger, joining Joe DiMaggio (1936), Mickey Mantle (1952-1953) and Willie Randolph (1976).

September 7, 2018: Gleyber flexed some muscle to earn a place alongside one of the most revered names in franchise history, belting a two-run homer and becoming the youngest Yankee since 20-year-old Mickey Mantle to reach 100 hits in a season.

At 21 years and 268 days old, Torres is the fourth-youngest Yankee to reach 100 hits. The only players to do so at a younger age were Mantle on April 30, 1952 (20 years, 193 days), Ben Chapman on July 20, 1930 (21 years, 207 days) and Joe DiMaggio on July 12, 1936 (21 years, 230 days).

2018 season: Key stat—18.8 degree average launch angle. A top-five prospect prior to his debut, Torres lived up to the hype by batting .271/.340/.480 as a 21-year-old middle infielder. He made the AL All-Star team and finished third in the Rookie of the Year Award voting.

A big part of his success was his ability to consistently hit the ball in the air, helping him rank third among first-year players in homers (24). Among 228 batters who put at least 250 balls in play, Torres tied Jose Ramirez for the ninth-highest launch angle and ranked 19th in line drive/fly ball rate (57.5 percent). (Andrew Simon -MLB.com- Dec. 27, 2018)

April 4, 2019: After hitting his second home run of the game against the Orioles, Torres (22 years, 112 days) became the third-youngest Yankees player in the live-ball era (since 1920) with at least 10 total bases in a game, according to Stats By STATS. Mickey Mantle (20 years, 296 days) and Joe DiMaggio (21 years, 212 days) are the only two Yankees ahead of him. (Tom Ruminski — The Score)

WATCH OUT, ORIOLES

May 22, 2019: Torres went 2-for-5 with a pair of solo home runs at Camden Yards, in a 7-5 Yankees victory. It was just the latest chapter in an eye-popping power surge that has played out as the two AL East clubs have met 11 times early this season. 

So far in 2019, Torres was a mind-blowing 20-for-43 against Baltimore, with three doubles and 10 homers. 

This was the fourth time this season that Torres homered twice in a game, with all four coming against the Orioles. That makes him only the fourth player in Major League history to have four multi-homer games against the same team in the same season—and the first in more than 60 years. He joins Roy Sievers of the 1955 Washington Senators (against the Kansas City A’s), Gus Zernial of the 1951 Philadelphia A’s (against the St. Louis Browns), and Ralph Kiner of the 1947 Pirates (against the Boston Braves).  (Simon - mlb.com)

As of August 2019:   

–His 13 homers vs. the Orioles this season are the most by a player against a single opponent in the divisional era (since 1969). 

  –The 13 homers vs. the Orioles are tied for the second most by a player against a single opponent in a season in MLB history (record is Lou Gehrig's 14 vs. Cleveland in 1936). 

 –Torres is the first player since Roger Maris in 1961 vs. the White Sox with 13 homers against a single opponent in a season. 

 –Torres’ five multi-homer games vs. the Orioles are the most by a player in a season against a single opponent. 

 –With 50 career homers, he’s the third-youngest Yankees player to reach that mark. 

 –Torres is the youngest player in AL history to reach 8 career multi-homer games.

–The second-year player has surpassed his rookie-year homer total of 24. 

 –Torres is the first player since Mike Schmidt (1983 vs. the Expos) to homer in both games of a doubleheader twice against the same team in the same season. Torres homered in both games of a twin bill vs. the Orioles on May 15.

Oct. 8, 2019:  Torres' first career postseason homer, at 22 years and 298 days old, is the youngest Yankees player to hit a postseason home run since Jeter in Game 1 of the 1996 AL Championship Series vs. the Orioles at old Yankee Stadium.

In the 2019 season, Torres set career highs in every offensive category, batting .278 with 96 runs, 26 doubles, 38 homers, 90 RBIs and 48 walks in 144 games. Of his 38 homers, 21 came against the AL East, including 13 against the Orioles, which memorably tormented Baltimore play-by-play announcer Gary Thorne. Against the O’s, Torres hit .394 (26-for-66). 

Gleyber has good hands and a very strong arm at shortstop. He may not have the classic wiry shortstop build, but Torres has really impressive range to both his left and right, and instincts.

He displays smooth infield actions at several positions. Torres could also play third base or second base. 

Torres has above-average arm strength—a 60. That fine arm allows him to make plays from deep in the hole. His arm allows Gleybar to set up a tad deeper than most shortstops. And that alleviates his average range.

Gleybar isn't flashy at short, but he has those good shortstop actions. His internal clock helps him make routine plays look even more routine. His hands and feet, along with his athleticism and body control, allow him to go side-to-side impressively. He is great with the backhand, goes into the hole—any play, he can make it.

Torres rates a 60 for his defense at shortstop, maybe higher. If he stays grounded and continues to work hard, he will be in the majors soon. (Spring, 2017)

April 28, 2018: Torres' slick defense during his brief time in the big leagues has conjured a favorable comparison for Yankees manager Aaron Boone, who likened the rookie second baseman to Cubs standout Javier Baez.

"I think he's played really well," Boone said. "I think he's been outstanding in the field. I knew he was a good defender. He's been great out there. There's a confidence, there's a heartbeat, there's a clock that he plays with out there that's really impressive. Just watching with my eyes the way he goes after a ball, it almost reminds me of Javy Baez a little bit, the way he plays out there. There's just a real comfort."

A converted shortstop, Torres has taken nicely to playing on the other side of the bag. He wowed his manager twice during the 4-3, 10-inning victory—smoothly ranging behind the bag and firing to retire Andrelton Simmons on a groundout and later turning a smooth double-play on Albert Pujols.

"First of all, great play up the middle [on Simmons] that he made look really easy," Boone said. "But the double-play ball he turned, just no rush, a calmness to the way he does it. He's got really good hands for playing second, he's got a shortstop's arm. That's a bonus." (B Hoch - MLB.com - April 28, 2018)

Gleyber has just about-average speed, a 50.

Torres is an intelligent base-stealer who reads pitchers well and gets good jumps. Though he has just average speed, he has enough baseball instincts, aggressiveness and intellect to make it play on the bases. (Spring, 2018)

April 20, 2017: Torres was placed on the 7-day minor league disabled list with mild right rotator cuff tendinitis.

June 19-end of 2017 season: Gleyber was diagnosed with a torn UCL which led to Tommy John surgery on his non-throwing elbow from an injury sustained a few days earlier while sliding into home plate. He underwent Tommy John surgery.

Torres is expected to be fully healed and ready by 2018 spring training.

July 4-25, 2018: Torres was on the DL with right hip strain.

Sept 20, 2019: Torres' legs buckled underneath him as he fielded Vladimir Guerrero Jr.'s infield hit in New York's loss to the Blue Jays at Yankee Stadium. Torres remained in the game until the seventh inning, and manager Aaron Boone said that Torres underwent an MRI on his right hamstring. The results came back negative.

Boone said that as a result of the injury, he will probably play Torres conservatively through the end of the season.

August 21, 2020:  Gleyber underwent an MRI that revealed Grade 1 strains of the left quadriceps and left hamstring. 

Aug 21-Sept 5, 2020: Torres was on the IL with Grade 1 left quad and hamstring strains, manager Aaron Boone said. Torres stumbled while running to first base on a groundout. 

April 12, 2021: Torres received precautionary X-rays and a CT scan after he jammed the ring finger of his right hand while diving into a base during the victory over the Blue Jays, Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. 

May 13-19, 2021: Torres was on the IL.

Aug 9-Sept 3, 2021: Torres was on the IL with a left thumb sprain sustained while stealing second base.