With the World Series ongoing, the Chicago Cubs and Cleveland Indians are the talk of the baseball world. These organizations have something in common other than both being in the world series; they both acquired dominant relievers at this years trade deadline. Not only that, but they both acquired dominant relievers from the New York Yankees. Andrew Miller has been in the spotlight much more than Aroldis Chapman this postseason and for good reason. Nonetheless it is Chapman, not Miller, who brought the Yankees Gleyber Torres. That might make Chapman the most valuable Yankee this season.
Torres, a shortstop from Venezuela, is just 19-years-old and does not turn 20 until December. Baseball Prospectus ranked Torres as the 34th best prospect in baseball—not bad for someone his age. This was the scouting report on Torres in the BP Top 50: “There’s no real weakness to Torres’ game. Everything but the power flashes above-average to plus, and his instincts both at the plate and in the field are impressive for any age, much less a 19-year-old.” Translation: The kid is a stud and plays at a level well-beyond his age.
The Yankees decided to send their young prospect to compete in the 2016 Arizona Fall League. You would think that it would be somewhat of a challenge for a player who is 19 and was traded mid-season. Wrong. In fact, Torres, who was named the AFL Player of Week on Oct. 25, has emerged as one of the best players in the entire AFL. See for yourself:
In seven games, Torres has slashed .391/.517/.739, which—if you do not want to do the math—adds up to a league-leading 1.256 OPS. That’s .144 points higher than the OPS of Brian Anderson, who ranks second on the list. He also leads the AFL with a .517 OBP and ranks 3rd with a .739 SLG%. Perhaps most impressively, Torres owns a 6:4 strikeout-to-walk ratio, illustrating how advanced his plate discipline is for his age.
As Torres continues to shine in the AFL, the Yankees’ future continues to look brighter. Make no mistake, Torres is on a path that should get him to the Bronx at the age of 21. He is incredibly young, he is still somewhat raw, and he still has room to develop physically. Yet, when you watch Torres, you cannot help but watch in awe. Remember his name because he will be dawning the pinstripes before you know it.
Photo: Mark J. Rebilas / USA Today Sports