Gleyber Torres picks up late pace but metrics back Yankees sign off speculations

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Gleyber Torres is enjoying a late resurgence with the New York Yankees, emerging as a key contributor from the leadoff spot for the American League’s top team. His September surge has been particularly noteworthy, boasting a .340 batting average and a .844 OPS, along with a team-leading 0.4 fWAR and a 142 wRC+.

However, this recent success stands in contrast to his earlier struggles in 2024. In the first half of the season, Torres underperformed, hitting just .226 with a .652 OPS and posting an 86 wRC+. This inconsistency has been a recurring theme throughout his career.

Since his breakout 2019 season, in which he posted a career-high 125 wRC+, .871 OPS, and a .278 average, Torres has struggled to replicate that level of play. His fluctuating form has left both fans and MLB executives cautious in their assessments of his long-term value.

As the Yankees gear up for the postseason and Torres heads toward free agency, the article suggests it’s important to consider his full body of work. While his current hot streak is encouraging, his history of inconsistency raises questions about his ability to sustain this performance beyond 2024.

In evaluating Torres’ future contributions, a balanced view that weighs both his past struggles and recent upswing will be essential for setting realistic expectations.

Torres’ 2024 a nightmare for Yankees

Despite a late-season uptick, Gleyber Torres’ overall 2024 numbers point to a middling offensive performance. With a 98 wRC+, 1.2 fWAR, 13 home runs, and 57 RBIs, his .250/.326/.365 slash line reflects a far cry from his best years. As the Yankees’ second baseman enters his seventh year in the majors, these stats indicate a season marked more by mediocrity than the flashes of brilliance he’s occasionally shown.

A closer look at Torres’ month-by-month output reveals prolonged stretches of inconsistency, a pattern that has plagued his career. His power production has especially fallen off, with a .365 slugging percentage that, if it holds, would be the lowest of his career. This marks the first time since the 2020-2021 seasons that his slugging has dipped below .400, raising concerns about his once-feared power at the plate.

For a player who had previously been a reliable power bat in the Yankees’ lineup, this decline raises questions about his offensive profile and long-term value to the team. While Torres remains a capable player, his inconsistency and diminished slugging potential are troubling signs as he approaches free agency.

These trends suggest that any evaluation of Torres’ future performance should account for more than just his recent surge. His overall 2024 campaign points to the need for a broader assessment of his long-term contributions and potential market value in the offseason.

A far cry from Gleyber’s 2019 exploits

Gleyber Torres’ career has been a tale of early promise followed by inconsistency. His standout sophomore season remains a career-high point, highlighted by personal bests in key offensive metrics such as wRC+, batting average, slugging percentage, OPS, home runs, and RBIs. That year also marked one of only two instances where Torres surpassed a 3.0 fWAR.

This followed an impressive rookie campaign in 2018, where Torres tallied a 2.5 fWAR, a 121 wRC+, and hit .271 with a .820 OPS. His strong debut earned him third place in the AL Rookie of the Year voting, trailing only Shohei Ohtani and Miguel Andujar.

Yet since those first two seasons, Torres has struggled to replicate that level of performance. His 2019 totals of 30+ home runs and 90+ RBIs remain unmatched, and he has not posted a slugging percentage above .500 since. Additionally, he has only surpassed a 120+ wRC+, a .800 OPS, and a .270 batting average once since his breakout 2019 campaign.

While Torres has avoided falling into the category of underperformance, he has not exhibited the consistency required to build on his early success. This inability to sustain high-level play across multiple seasons has defined much of his tenure in the major leagues, leaving him searching for the form that once made him a rising star in the Yankees’ lineup.

What ails Yankees second baseman

Several facets of Gleyber Torres’ performance reveal discrepancies with the somewhat above-average statistics he has accumulated throughout his career.

An examination of Gleyber Torres’ batted ball data reveals troubling patterns in his hitting performance. Historically, Torres has struggled to consistently generate high-quality contact. His hard-hit rate has only surpassed the 50th percentile among MLB hitters once, in 2022, and his barrel rate, a key measure of power hitting, has exceeded the league median only once since 2019, also in 2022.

These challenges in producing hard contact are reflected in his expected slugging (xSLG) metrics, which have often been below expectations. This trend is particularly noticeable in his current contract year.

In 2024, Torres’ hitting metrics are notably subpar. He ranks at or below the 35th percentile in expected slugging (xSLG), hard-hit rate, barrel rate, and average exit velocity. These figures indicate that the Yankee is underperforming compared to the majority of his peers in terms of hitting quality.

These statistics suggest that Torres’ recent hot streaks might be anomalies rather than signs of sustained improvement. They also raise concerns about his ability to consistently produce at a high level, especially in terms of power hitting, which was once a hallmark of his game.

These metrics offer crucial insight into Torres’ true offensive capabilities and future potential, especially as he approaches free agency. They suggest that while Torres can exhibit periods of effectiveness, his underlying hitting data points to potential difficulties in maintaining elite production over the long term.

Determining Gleyber Torres’ hitting approach from season to season remains a challenge. This year, Torres has demonstrated an impressive chase rate and an above-average walk rate. Last season, he ranked in the top 30% of MLB players for strikeout rate, walk rate, chase rate, and whiff rate. In contrast, two seasons ago, he fell below the 60th percentile in all these metrics.

This inconsistency in his approach makes it difficult for fans and baseball professionals alike to predict what kind of hitter Torres will be each year.

Torres’ defense a headache for Yankees

Gleyber Torres’ defensive performance has been a notable weakness throughout his career. In 2024, his struggles are particularly evident, with a -7 outs above average placing him in the bottom 4th percentile among MLB players defensively.

Historically, Torres has not excelled defensively, never recording a positive out above-average total. His defensive metrics have mostly ranked among the league’s lowest, except for a slight improvement in 2022 when he barely exceeded the 20th percentile.

These defensive issues have largely restricted Torres to second base. He has not played any other positions since a brief stint at shortstop in 2022. His lack of defensive versatility, a highly valued trait in modern baseball, has been a significant drawback.

The Yankees’ acquisition of Jazz Chisholm Jr. at the trade deadline highlighted Torres’ defensive limitations. The team considered moving Torres to third base to make room for Chisholm, but Torres was reluctant, citing his limited experience at the position in the minors.

In today’s MLB, where versatility is highly sought after, Torres’ inability to adapt defensively could impact his value in free agency. Players known for their defensive flexibility, such as Cavan Biggio and Tommy Edman, have maintained consistent roles and high demand despite less impressive offensive statistics.

Torres’ case underscores the modern emphasis on defensive versatility. For players with limited defensive skills, the ability to play multiple positions is crucial. Torres’ reluctance to expand his defensive repertoire could constrain his value and opportunities in the current MLB landscape.

Torres’ impactful contributions to the Yankees’ second half of the 2024 season are acknowledged, especially given the underwhelming performances of other key players like Giancarlo Stanton and Alex Verdugo. However, the article argues that Torres’ 2024 season reflects the inconsistency that has marked his entire career.

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