Gleyber Torres

Bronx

Torres is the Yankees’ top prospect right now. He is one of the big pieces of the future of this franchise — all at the tender age of 20 years old. The Venezuelan native was picked up in the Aroldis Chapman deal, which sent Chapman back to the Chicago in July. Torres is the real deal. He won both the Arizona fall league MVP and the batting title this past fall, competing against some of the best arms in the minor leagues. After the trade, Torres stepped right into class A Tampa and took over the shortstop position from Jorge Mateo, who moved over to second base. Torres hit 11 home runs and hit .271 , while swiping 21 bags in the process. There’s no doubt after his performance in the AFL that people began to learn his name. It’s also one of the reasons he is the top prospect in the Yankees organization. With a heavy middle infield prospect list, Torres shot right to the top immediately. It’s expected that he will stick at shortstop, thanks to a strong arm accompanied by quick and smooth hands. He has great range in both directions and is more than athletic enough to reach balls in the hole or up the middle. The 20 year-old has enough arm strength that he will be able to move to third base eventually, if need be. In the AFL, he also spent time at second base, simply because other prospects needed time at shortstop. There’s no doubt Torres is a solid infielder and contains the skill and athleticism to really play any position in the infield.

But what sets him apart and makes his such an intriguing prospect is his hitting ability. Torres has hit .282 over three seasons in the minor leagues. At such a young age, it’s amazing to see how disciplined he is at the plate. Torres demonstrates the ability to take breaking balls and wait for a pitch that he can drive. Earlier last year, Torres had a tendency to swing too hard and become pull-happy. He quickly figured it out and let his ability do the work. He’s got quick hands and a short, compact approach at the plate. It’s expected that Torres will start 2017 with Double A Trenton, and if he keeps playing well, he could easily make his big league debut before his 22nd birthday.