There’s no concrete timetable as to when Gleyber Torres will make his major league debut in the Yankees organization, but once the touted 20-year-old shortstop earns his moment, he hopes to face one former American League Cy Young winner.
“I’d like to face Felix Hernandez,” Torres told Bryan Hoch of MLB.com. “He and I are friends, and we train together. When we work out, he always tells me that he’s going to strike me out and I tell him no, my first home run is going to be off him. We have a good relationship, so that’s the pitcher I’d like to face when I get to the big leagues.”
Torres, who recently participated in MLB/MLBPA’s Rookie Development Program, headlined the Arizona Fall League last year, becoming the league’s youngest batting champion with a .403 batting average, .513 on-base percentage, and 11 RBI in 18 games.
“That was one of the biggest awards I’ve won,” Torres said. “I was really excited and proud to win those two awards, being so young. I felt super excited to do it representing the Yankees and my country, which is the most important thing. Those are stages in my career that I’m never going to forget, and I’ll always be proud to have won those awards.”
After signing a $1.7 million deal with the Chicago Cubs in 2013, Torres reached as high as the High-A level, where he hit .275 with nine home runs and 47 RBI in 94 games last season. The Venezuelan native also became the centerpiece for last summer’s blockbuster trade between the Yankees and Cubs for closer Aroldis Chapman.
“I was a little surprised. I didn’t expect the trade,” Torres said. “I had heard rumors that I was going to get traded, but I really hadn’t paid that much attention to them. When I got the news, I was pretty surprised. But at the same time, I was excited, because some new doors were opening for me, a new opportunity.”
Torres played 31 games with High-A Tampa in the Florida State League, where he produced just a .254 average and 19 RBI. Listed as the Yankees’ second-best prospect and 17th overall prospect by MLB Pipeline, Torres is expected to begin 2017 as the starting shortstop with Double-A Trenton.
Yankees manager Joe Girardi has held Torres in high esteem since the team acquired him almost six months ago.
“He went out and played at a very, very high level with kids that are older than him, with kids that played at a higher level than him,” Girardi said. “He was one of the kids that really shined. I think that really bodes well for us, and I look forward to seeing him.”
While Torres’s hitting capability is at the center of attention, he’s made an effort to further refine his glove work, hoping to provide the team with some versatility in the infield.
“I was always concentrating on hitting, but in the last few years, I’ve improved my defense,” Torres said. “I’ve worked extra to improve on some details that were missing from my game and, thank God, those things have improved.
“I’ve put a lot of focus on offense, because that’s going to help me to be brought up more quickly. I always prepare before games at each practice to be better each and every day and not make as many errors as in previous years.”
New York isn’t expecting to see Torres in the Bronx this upcoming season, but a promotion hasn’t necessarily been ruled out, either. As for Torres, there is another obvious dream in his mind, much more important than facing Hernandez.
“The dream of any ballplayer is to play for the New York Yankees,” Torres said.
If you want to connect with Tom Hanslin, email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter @tomhanslin.
