Inside The Pinstripes

Yankees’ Gleyber Torres Finally Looking Like Himself

New York Yankees shortstop Gleyber Torres is looking like himself again, hitting home runs in two straight games against the Boston Red Sox after struggling all year with his power

Pat Ragazzo

The New York Yankees have been waiting all year for their golden boy to wake up at the plate.

Now, this is hopefully becoming a reality once again, as shortstop Gleyber Torres has come alive in the power department as of late.

Torres entered Saturday’s contest with just three home runs all season. That's shocking after he slugged 38 long balls back in 2019.

However, the 24-year-old found his power stroke over the weekend in a series win over the Red Sox, as he smacked home runs in consecutive games, bringing his total to five on the year.

This recent success is possibly a result of Torres, manager Aaron Boone and hitting coach Marcus Thames working together to focus on the infielder’s lower half at the dish.

It’s no secret that Torres has not had his legs under him this year, as his OPS has dropped to a measly .658, in comparison to 2019, when he had an .871 OPS.

Why Hasn't Gleyber Torres Been Hitting For Power This Season?

Torres also has only 15 extra-base hits entering play on Tuesday: 10 doubles and five homers. Although he has a mere three extra-base hits in the month of July, all three of these have come in the last eight days.

The Yankees are currently 7.5 games back in the American League East at 48-44. They are also four games back of the Oakland Athletics for the second Wild Card spot in the AL. In order for the Yankees to reach the postseason for the fifth-straight season, they must receive more contributions from their big boppers in the lineup, who have underperformed.

Torres is a blatant example of one of these disappointing hitters, and the bottom line is he needs to become that power threat in the Yankees’ lineup once more, to help his team make a run at a Wild Card spot.

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Pat Ragazzo
PAT RAGAZZO

Pat Ragazzo is the reporter, publisher, site manager and executive editor for Sports Illustrated's Mets and Yankees On SI websites. Pat was selected as The Top Reporter & Publisher of the Year 2024 by the International Association of Top Professionals (IAOTP) for outstanding leadership, dedication, and commitment to the industry. He has been seen on several major TV Network stations including: NBC4, CBS2, FOX5, PIX11 and NY1; and is frequently heard on ESPN New York FM 880 AM and WFAN Sports Radio 101.9 FM as a guest. Pat also serves as the Mets insider for the "Allow Me 2 Be Frank" podcast hosted by Frank "The Tank" Fleming of Barstool Sports. You can follow him on Twitter/X: @ragazzoreport.

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