Gleyber Torres was a SS who played for the New York Yankees from 2018-2024. Career stats: .265 batting average, 138 home runs, 441 RBI.
title: "Gleyber Torres" slug: "gleyber-torres" era: "judge" position: "2B/SS" bats: "Right" throws: "Right" born: "1996-12-13" birthplace: "Caracas, Venezuela" debut: "2018-04-22" retired: ""
In July 2016, the New York Yankees sent Aroldis Chapman -- who was, at the time, the hardest thrower on the planet -- to the Chicago Cubs so the Cubs could win the World Series. The Cubs did, in fact, win the World Series. The Yankees got four players in return, and the one Brian Cashman wanted most was a 19-year-old Venezuelan shortstop named Gleyber Torres.
It seemed like daylight robbery at the time. It still kind of does. The Cubs got one October. The Yankees got seven years and 138 home runs from a kid who didn't even debut until 2018.
The Price of a Ring
The Cubs had signed Torres out of Caracas in 2013 for $1.7 million -- serious money for a 16-year-old international prospect -- and by 2016 he was ranked the No. 1 player in their entire system. Baseball America had him at No. 27 overall in their midseason rankings. Cashman was reportedly given a choice of prospects in the Chapman negotiation and didn't hesitate.
He chose the shortstop.
Torres spent a year and change in the Yankees' minor league system. Baseball America moved him to No. 1 overall prospect in the Yankees' newly stacked farm in the fall of 2016. The hype was real and the people doing the hyping were right.
2018 -- The Arrival
Gleyber Torres made his major league debut on April 22, 2018, at 21 years old. He hit his first career home run on May 4 off Josh Tomlin of Cleveland -- the youngest Yankee to go deep since John Ellis in 1969. Two days later he hit a walk-off homer off Dan Otero, becoming the youngest Yankee to hit a walk-off in franchise history.
(He'd been in the majors for two weeks.)
The rookie season was a genuine statement: .271/.340/.480 with 24 home runs and 77 RBIs in 123 games. He made the AL All-Star team -- the fourth Yankee to get there at 21 or younger, joining Joe DiMaggio, Mickey Mantle, and Willie Randolph. He finished third in AL Rookie of the Year voting. Nobody who watched him that summer thought they were looking at a good young player. They thought they were looking at a star.
They were right about that too. For about one more season.
2019 -- The Summer of Gleyber
I don't think Gleyber Torres fully understood what he was doing in 2019. I'm not sure anyone did in real time. He hit 38 freakin' home runs. From the middle infield. He was 22 years old.
The 38 home runs led his league among middle infielders and set a record for most ever by a Yankee playing primarily shortstop or second base. His 90 RBIs were the most by a Yankee age 22 or younger since Mickey Mantle drove in 102 in 1954. He led the majors with eight multi-homer games, tying a Yankees franchise record shared by Babe Ruth in 1927, Mantle in 1961, and Alex Rodriguez in 2007. (That's absurd company for a 22-year-old.) In August alone, he hit 13 home runs and reached base in 22 consecutive games.
He slashed .278/.337/.535. He made the All-Star team again. The Yankees finished 103-59 and went to the ALCS, where Torres hit two home runs against the Astros.
This was, as it turned out, the ceiling.
The Regression
The COVID season happened to everyone, but Torres took an extra hit: Didi Gregorius left as a free agent after 2019, and the Yankees moved Torres to shortstop full-time. Turns out that was a problem. He led all AL shortstops with nine errors in 42 games in 2020 -- a 60-game season -- and slashed .243/.356/.368 with three home runs. The power just evaporated.
The defensive issues didn't go away in 2021. Torres made 18 errors, second-most in the American League, and the problems were identifiable: balls hit to his right side, requiring lateral quickness that wasn't quite there. His bat dropped off further -- .259/.331/.366 with nine home runs. The trade for a generational shortstop prospect was starting to look like a good second baseman who'd been asked to play out of position for two years.
In September 2021, Aaron Boone moved Torres back to second base and said quietly that it might be permanent. "I think he's been feeling some pressure over there," Boone said, "and I think it impacted his ability to play between the lines."
Right diagnosis. Took too long to make it.
Solid Ground
At second base, Torres stabilized. In 2022 he hit 24 home runs -- same as his rookie season -- and drove in 76 runs. The .310 OBP was the worst of his career but the power was back. In 2023 he hit .273 with 25 home runs and 68 RBIs and finished as a Silver Slugger finalist. He was a useful, professional big-league second baseman.
He wasn't the guy everyone thought they were watching in 2019. That guy never came back.
The Breakup
The ending was ugly in the way that Yankees endings often get when management decides they don't need you anymore and isn't particularly subtle about it.
In late July 2024, the Yankees acquired Jazz Chisholm Jr. from Miami. The plan -- Brian Cashman's plan -- was for Chisholm to play second base and Torres to move to third. Torres, who had never played third base professionally, declined. Cashman went on YES Network after the season and said Torres "was unwilling." Torres -- briefly, before deleting it -- tweeted a sleeping emoji and "Just turn" with a page-turning emoji. (He didn't elaborate. He didn't need to.)
The Yankees didn't offer him a qualifying offer. Torres signed with the Detroit Tigers on December 27, 2024, for one year and $15 million. He made his third All-Star team in 2025 -- his first with Detroit.
The Cashman era in New York ended the way it usually does: with someone publicly noting that someone else wouldn't cooperate, and then that someone leaving. Seven seasons, 138 home runs, 441 RBIs, and one absolutely stunning summer in the Bronx.
| Yankees Seasons | 7 (2018--2024) |
| Yankees HR | 138 |
| Yankees RBI | 441 |
| Career High HR | 38 (2019) |
| Career High BA | .278 (2019) |
| 2019 SLG | .535 |
| All-Star Selections | 2018, 2019 (Yankees); 2025 (Tigers) |
| Acquired | Chapman trade, July 25, 2016 |
Born in Caracas, Venezuela
Gleyber David Torres Castro is born. Grows up playing multiple positions in Venezuela before settling at shortstop.
Signed by Chicago Cubs
The Cubs sign Torres as an international free agent at age 16 for a $1.7 million bonus. He quickly rises to the top of their prospect rankings.
Chapman Trade -- Lands in the Bronx
Yankees trade Aroldis Chapman to the Cubs for Torres (ranked No. 1 in the Cubs system, No. 27 overall by Baseball America), Adam Warren, Billy McKinney, and Rashad Crawford. Brian Cashman specifically chose Torres as the centerpiece.
MLB Debut
Torres debuts at age 21. He'll hit his first career home run 12 days later, off Josh Tomlin, becoming the youngest Yankee to go deep since John Ellis in 1969.
AL All-Star -- First Selection
Named to the AL All-Star team after batting .271 with 24 home runs in his first season. The fourth Yankee ever selected for the All-Star Game at age 21 or younger.
Career Year -- 38 HR, 90 RBI
Torres hits 38 home runs -- a Yankees record for middle infielders -- and drives in 90 runs. Leads the majors with 8 multi-homer games. Second All-Star selection. The .535 slugging percentage represents the peak of his offensive power.
Moved to Shortstop -- Defensive Struggles Begin
With Gregorius gone, Torres takes over at SS full-time. Leads all AL shortstops with 9 errors in 42 COVID-shortened games. Hits just .243 with 3 home runs.
Permanently Moved to 2B
After committing 18 errors -- second-most in the AL -- Torres is moved back to second base by Boone. Described as permanent. The lateral quickness required at shortstop wasn't there.
Jazz Chisholm Trade and the Third-Base Dispute
Yankees acquire Jazz Chisholm Jr. to play 2B. Cashman asks Torres to move to 3B; Torres declines. The relationship effectively ends in this moment, formalized by a public YES Network interview from Cashman post-season.
Signs with Detroit Tigers
Torres signs a one-year, $15 million deal with the Detroit Tigers. He earns his third All-Star selection in 2025, his first with Detroit.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did Gleyber Torres leave the Yankees?
The split came to a head in late July 2024 when the Yankees acquired Jazz Chisholm Jr. and asked Torres to move to third base -- a position he'd never played professionally. Torres declined. After the season, the Yankees didn't offer him a qualifying offer, and he signed with Detroit in late December. Yankees GM Brian Cashman later said publicly that Torres was "unwilling" to move positions, which Torres responded to with a since-deleted dismissive tweet.
What was Gleyber Torres' best season?
2019, and it wasn't close. Torres hit 38 home runs -- a record for Yankee middle infielders -- drove in 90 runs, slugged .535, and led the majors with eight multi-homer games. He was 22 years old. Those 90 RBIs were the most by a Yankee age 22 or younger since Mickey Mantle hit 102 in 1954. The 38-HR season remained the benchmark Torres never reached again in seven years with the club.
How many home runs did Gleyber Torres hit with the New York Yankees?
138, across seven seasons (2018--2024). His year-by-year totals: 24, 38, 3, 9, 24, 25, 15. The seven-season total came with 441 RBIs. He's one of the more prolific offensive second basemen in Yankees history, even if he spent a couple of those seasons playing shortstop with mixed results.
Was Gleyber Torres good defensively?
At second base? Decent. At shortstop? No. Torres led all AL shortstops in errors in the 60-game 2020 season and committed 18 errors in 2021 -- issues on balls to his right side. The Yankees permanently moved him back to second base in September 2021. At 2B he was adequate if not elite.
Who did the Yankees trade for Gleyber Torres?
Aroldis Chapman, in July 2016. The Yankees got Torres (the key piece), Adam Warren, Billy McKinney, and Rashad Crawford in exchange for the hardest-throwing closer in baseball. The Cubs used Chapman to help win the 2016 World Series. The Yankees got seven years of Gleyber Torres. Brian Cashman reportedly had his pick of prospects and chose Torres.
Career Stats
Regular Season
| Year | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | SB | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 42 | 136 | 17 | 33 | 8 | 0 | 3 | 16 | 22 | 28 | 1 | .243 | .356 | .368 | .724 |
| 2021 | 127 | 459 | 50 | 119 | 22 | 0 | 9 | 51 | 50 | 104 | 14 | .259 | .331 | .366 | .697 |
| 2022 | 140 | 526 | 73 | 135 | 28 | 1 | 24 | 76 | 39 | 129 | 10 | .257 | .310 | .451 | .761 |
| 2023 | 158 | 596 | 90 | 163 | 28 | 2 | 25 | 68 | 67 | 98 | 13 | .273 | .347 | .453 | .800 |
| 2024 | 154 | 587 | 80 | 151 | 26 | 0 | 15 | 63 | 65 | 136 | 4 | .257 | .330 | .378 | .708 |
| Career | 888 | 3281 | 460 | 870 | 154 | 4 | 138 | 441 | 333 | 746 | 53 | .265 | .333 | .441 | .774 |
Career-best seasons highlighted in gold. Stats via Retrosheet.
Postseason
| Year | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | SB | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | 5 | 16 | -- | 4 | -- | -- | 0 | 0 | -- | -- | -- | .250 | -- | -- | -- |
| 2019 | 9 | 37 | -- | 12 | -- | -- | 3 | 10 | -- | -- | -- | .324 | -- | -- | -- |
| 2020 | 7 | 23 | -- | 10 | -- | -- | 2 | 5 | -- | -- | -- | .435 | -- | -- | -- |
| 2021 | 1 | 4 | -- | 0 | -- | -- | 0 | 0 | -- | -- | -- | .000 | -- | -- | -- |
| 2022 | 9 | 34 | -- | 6 | -- | -- | 0 | 2 | -- | -- | -- | .176 | -- | -- | -- |
| 2024 | 14 | 58 | -- | 14 | -- | -- | 2 | 8 | -- | -- | -- | .241 | -- | -- | -- |
| Career | 45 | 172 | 0 | 46 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 25 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .267 | .267 | .390 | .657 |