Inside The Pinstripes

Yankees' Gleyber Torres Flashes Dad Strength, Smacks First Home Run of Spring

Torres is hitting .667 through four games of Grapefruit League play this spring.

Max Goodman

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TAMPA — Yankees second baseman Gleyber Torres became a father for the first time this week as he and his wife, Elizabeth, welcomed their son Ethan to the world.

Just a few days later, his dad strength started to kick in.

Torres whacked his first home run of the spring over the wall in right-center field at George M. Steinbrenner Field on Wednesday night, a two-run blast to give the Yankees a 3-0 lead over the Orioles in the fourth. 

Adding a base hit through the left side a few innings later, Torres is now hitting .667 (6-for-9) across his first four in-game appearances this spring. 

Production this early in Grapefruit League play is in large part insignificant, but for Torres, it has to feel good to get off to a hot start at the plate. The 25-year-old has struggled in recent years after bursting on the scene as a rookie in 2018. His power numbers have decreased significantly while his defensive deficiencies forced the Yankees to move him out of the shortstop position and back to second.

Torres said Tuesday that he feels extra motivation to improve and play well now that his son is in the picture, adding that his life has completely changed.

"During the game, I'm just worried about the baby and if everything is alright, because it's the first day and it's my first child," he said in the visitor's clubhouse in Dunedin after he was taken out of New York's loss to the Blue Jays on Tuesday. "Now my family's getting bigger and bigger. I take those moments to get more motivation and try to get better and better every day."

DJ LeMahieu and Giancarlo Stanton also added home runs Wednesday night against Baltimore. New York's new shortstop Isiah Kiner-Falefa contributed two more base hits as well, raising his average this spring to .625.

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Max Goodman
MAX GOODMAN

Max Goodman covers the New York Yankees for Sports Illustrated and FanNation. Goodman has been on the Yankees beat for three seasons. He is also the publisher of Sports Illustrated and FanNation's Jets site, Jets Country. Before starting Inside The Pinstripes, Goodman attended Northwestern University and the Medill School of Journalism. He earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Broadcast Journalism and Master’s Degree in Sports Media, graduating in 2019. At school, Goodman was an anchor and reporter with NNN SportsNight and played on the club baseball team. While at Northwestern, Goodman interned with MLB.com as an associate reporter covering the Miami Marlins. He also interned with ESPN, working as an associate reporter on Mike Greenberg's Get Up. Goodman is from New York City. He grew up in Hell's Kitchen. Follow Goodman on Twitter @MaxTGoodman. You can connect with him via email by reaching out at maxgoodmansports@gmail.com.

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