Yankees' Gleyber Torres Took Promising Step With Three-Hit Night

New York Yankees shortstop Gleyber Torres has not played up to expectations so far in 2021, which has created some cause for concern.

In his first 64 at-bats of the season, Torres is slashing .219/.315/.250 with two doubles, no home runs and two RBIs.

According to Baseball Savant, Torres has a 29.2% hard hit rate (14th percentile) this season, which is well below his career average. Torres’ whiff percentage is also way up this year and ranks in the 42nd percentile, just barely league average.

However, Torres had his best night of the season at the plate on Thursday going 3-for-5 with an RBI and a run scored in the Yankees’ 6-3 win over the Cleveland Indians.

Torres’ big day resembles hope that the Bronx Bombers’ slugger could be starting to turn the corner and after the game, he expressed a sigh of relief regarding his performance.

"Finally, I could do something tonight for my team,” he said.

If the Yankees hope to get out of this early season slump, they will need Torres to pick it up offensively. Given his potential and offensive track record, the club has remained patient with Torres, hoping he can get it going as the season progresses.

Torres made the All-Star team in each of his first two seasons in the big leagues, in 2018 and 2019. While mostly playing second base, he struggled defensively, but his bat always made up for his glove. Through the first 267 games of his career, Torres was an offensive force, posting a .275 batting average, 62 home runs and 167 RBIs.

Over that span, Torres made 37 errors between second and short. In his rookie year, he had three defensive runs saved, but in 2019, he had a total of -14 defensive runs saved, with 11 of them coming at second. Due to an injury to starting shortstop Didi Gregorius, Torres ended up playing more innings at short during this campaign.

Following Gregorius’ departure that offseason, Torres took over as New York's full-time shortstop duties. He's posted a total of -10 defensive runs saved with 11 errors in 59 games.

Unlike in the past, Torres’ bat is no longer picking up the slack. He managed to hit just .235 with only 11 extra base hits in his last 200 at-bats. That's concerning, especially for a hitter who the Yankees are relying on to be one of the best bats in their lineup.

The Yankees are still high on Torres, as they should be. He’s only 24 and has shown a lot of potential offensively throughout the first two seasons of his career. He is also under cheap control for the next three seasons before he hits the free agent market for the first time in 2025.

When all is said and done, the Yankees are better off letting Torres swing out of his slump because they need him to revert back to the reliable hitter that he once was in order for this team to function correctly. Thursday’s three-hit performance was a big first step in the right direction as Torres looks to get back on track.

MORE:

• Domingo Germán's 'Remarkable' Performance Paved Way to Yankees Victory
• Yankees Get Back On Track, Start Series in Cleveland With Win
• Yankees See Slumping Aaron Hicks Playing a 'Huge Role' in New York's Success This Season

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