Torres finds his groove with help from former Yankees hero

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Gleyber Torres‘ performance in the first half of the 2024 season was a far cry from his 2023 success with the Yankees. After posting an impressive OPS+ of 118 the previous year, Torres struggled early on in 2024, dropping to an OPS+ of 86. His offensive production fell to a .231/.307/.347 slash line with just eight home runs and 35 RBIs over 93 games. With free agency looming and little expectation of the Yankees re-signing him, manager Aaron Boone faced minimal risk in contemplating benching Torres, whose defensive lapses and baserunning mistakes had frustrated fans.

But the All-Star break from July 15-18 marked a turning point for Torres. He used the time to train with his former teammate Gio Urshela, then with the Detroit Tigers, at a facility in Tampa for three days.

Torres later explained that the mental grind of a long season had weighed on him. Returning home to Tampa and working with a trusted friend helped him reset. The break allowed him to take a step back from baseball and focus on more effective training. Once back on the field, Torres concentrated on refining his mechanics and techniques, which clicked during the second half, helping him rediscover his love for the game and perform at a higher level.

“This season is (long) and sometimes really stressful,” Torres told reporters in New York on Tuesday. “Just go to my city, Tampa, see my friend and just do different workouts a little bit better as a player. You just forget a couple things about baseball, just enjoy and try to feel the same feeling (as) you felt before. Then when you get back to playing, just try to do the right thing. Something happened in the second half, like I found myself, and I just really enjoy it.”

From 2019 to 2021, Gleyber Torres’ former Yankees teammate Gio Urshela noticed a key flaw in Torres’ swing—he wasn’t using the opposite field effectively, often resulting in weak ground balls to the left side of the infield. This observation, coupled with focused training, became pivotal in Torres’ second-half resurgence in 2024.

Urshela observed that Torres had been hitting too many ground balls to the left side of the infield. He advised him to concentrate more on opposite-field hitting, a key part of Torres’ earlier success.

Their work at the facility, which they refer to as “The Lab,” wasn’t just about mechanics; it also served as a mental break. Torres later described how the grind of the season had worn on him. Returning to Tampa to train with a close friend allowed him to briefly set aside his struggles and regain his confidence.

Following an intensive training session with Urshela during the All-Star break, Torres’ performance at the plate improved dramatically. He posted a .293/.361/.419 line in the season’s latter half, hitting seven home runs and driving in 28 RBIs across 61 games. His improved hitting earned him the leadoff spot in the Yankees’ lineup, a role in which he thrived. He carried his momentum into the postseason, where he notched seven hits in 24 at-bats, including a home run, three RBIs, and six walks.

As the Yankees’ primary leadoff hitter, Torres finished the season with a .283/.350/.405 line, good for a 105 OPS+. While his early-season struggles modestly impacted those numbers, his turnaround was crucial in stabilizing the Yankees’ lineup.

Torres’ rebound not only saved what had started as a frustrating year but also played a key role in the Yankees’ playoff push. For the 27-year-old, his second-half revival is expected to elevate his market value as he heads into free agency, potentially boosting his prospects for a lucrative contract.

Torres’ turnaround a boon for Yankees

The turnaround has not only helped Torres personally but has also been a key factor in the Yankees’ postseason run.

Gleyber Torres’ resurgence has carried over into the postseason, where he’s reached base 10 times in 25 plate appearances through his first five games.

Reflecting on his midseason struggles, Torres admitted he had concerns about his future with the Yankees, fearing his underperformance might lead to an exit. Despite those fears, Torres reiterated his desire to stay with the team long-term, though he acknowledged the uncertainty surrounding that possibility. He noted that the pressure he felt was largely self-imposed, driven by his recognition that this season was crucial for his career.

“[When] your entire organization believes in you, don’t trade you in those moments, they keep you, and they show you the love, you have to figure out a way to get better and help the team,” the Yankees star added. 

The 27-year-old second baseman expressed gratitude to manager Aaron Boone for standing by him during his rough stretch and keeping him in the lineup. Boone’s support persisted even after a brief two-game benching in June and a mid-game removal in July for a perceived lack of hustle on a fly ball.

Boone, who has had many conversations with Torres over the years, acknowledged the player’s inconsistency in tapping into his full potential. However, the Yankees manager praised Torres’ resilience, expressing pride in how he handled adversity. Boone noted that the second baseman didn’t crumble under the pressures of New York but instead emerged as a key player in the team’s late-season push.

“I guess I’m just proud of his perseverance, because nothing about this year has been easy for him in the first half of the season,” the Yankees manager said. “It can get noisy here and guys can crumble. He’s pushed through and become such an impact player for us here in the final couple months. There’s a lot to be said for that.”

Following the All-Star break, Torres experienced a resurgence. His batting average climbed to .293, and his OPS improved to .780 over the next 61 games. This turnaround earned him back the leadoff spot in the lineup, where he has since become a reliable offensive presence. Torres’ more patient approach at the plate, coupled with his renewed ability to drive pitches effectively, now sets the table for power hitters like Juan Soto and Aaron Judge. 

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