No matter what's been going on with the Yankees lately, Gleyber Torres continues to thrive at the top of the lineup.
That streak continued on Tuesday, when Torres had three more hits in a 6-3 win over Cleveland in Game 2 of the ALCS in the Bronx.
It started with a leadoff double in the bottom of the first inning, and Torres scored on an error by shortstop Brayan Rocchio on Aaron Judge's harmless-looking pop fly.
Torres singled again in the fourth and seventh innings, reaching base multiple times for the fifth time in six games this postseason.
It's part of a late resurgence that has boosted the Yankees' fortunes, as well as his own future as he heads into free agency for the first time.
Now, he's proving to be one of the most valuable Yankees at bat.
In 61 games after the hiatus, Torres returned to being the hitter the Yankees expected him to be, posting a .293 batting average and .780 OPS.
That carried over into the postseason, with Torres reaching base 10 of 25 at bats through the first five games.
Along the way, manager Aaron Boone has elevated Torres to a leadoff hitter, where he not only puts together long, quality at-bats, but also steadies himself in front of Juan Soto and Aaron Judge in terms of being aggressive and pouncing on pitches. It became a powerful force. It allows him to do damage.
His goal now is simple.
“I know I have some really good players behind me,” Torres said. “And it's a huge thing for me to have leadoff responsibility, so I'm just trying to do the right thing and worry about being a free agent after the season, hopefully after the World Series.”
There was no mention of Torres potentially playing in his first World Series.
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Before the game, Torres admitted that the pressure of the season had gotten to him at one point.
“It's true that sometimes I [thought]”If I don't” [well]Maybe I won't sign here, I'll go somewhere else,'' Torres said. “But I don't feel any pressure at the moment. I've played well the last two years and this year is one of the most important years of my career, so I put pressure on myself to do the right thing. I feel it myself.”
Those struggles and Boone's mid-season benching seem like a distant memory, as Torres has hit so many clutch hits and thus far avoided the careless mistakes that regularly plagued him during his time with the Yankees. .
