(Photo by Rich Storry/Getty Images)
The New York Yankees’ lineup looks better than last year.
Nobody knows if it will be better, but it looks more balanced and with more star-power.
To really hit its ceiling, the unit needs a solid, consistent, and productive season by second baseman Gleyber Torres.
In the middle of some unfavorable circumstances, he managed to complete a very good year with the Yankees in 2023.
His defense at the keystone regressed a bit, but he posted a .800 OPS, 25 home runs, 90 runs scored, and 13 stolen bases.
On Wednesday, he reminded people about that impressive power for a middle infielder with his first exhibition home run.
“Gleyber launches his first home run of the spring!” FOX Sports: MLB tweeted.
Gleyber launches his first home run of the spring!
(via @Yankees) pic.twitter.com/hkjFrZF8Eu
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) March 6, 2024
He got an off-speed pitch high and inside, and his wrists were quick enough to turn on the pitch and send it to deep left field for the round-tripper.
Before going deep on Wednesday, Torres was having a nightmarish spring training performance, with a .231/.214/.308 line in five games.
Still, these games are more about getting into a rhythm and making slight adjustments than anything else.
Quietly, Torres has 123 career home runs and a .789 OPS.
Given the state of the second base position, those numbers are amazing.
His sneaky power and contact/on-base skills will be needed in the second half of the lineup, where he is expected to hit between the fifth and the seventh spot.
His job will be keeping up the good performance he had last year in order to make the lineup longer for opposing pitchers.
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