Post by JohnM on Apr 24, 2024 4:53:36 GMT -5
Chris Kirschner
“I feel good,” Torres said. “I think sometimes it’s not going the right way. I feel like I have hit a couple of really good balls and, unfortunately, everything is out. I’ve taken a couple of walks already. Some at-bats, I’m seeing six or seven pitches. Maybe I don’t get the right results, but I’m feeling good. I’m seeing the ball a bit better. I hope I’ll get more consistency soon.”
But before that happens, he has to show he can just simply hit. He’s running career lows in wOBA, xwOBA, barrel percentage and sweet spot percentage. He’s yet to get a hit against any off-speed pitch this season and was hitting just .136 against four-seam fastballs entering Tuesday. Of all the publicly available batted ball metrics, none are encouraging about Torres’ start at the plate.
“Honestly, I don’t feel like he’s in a bad place,” Yankees hitting coach James Rowson said. “He’s close to getting where he needs to be. It’s just a matter of getting a few more opportunities to get that one to fall and that one to land for you with a good swing. I think the knock he had in Toronto was a really good swing. He made some adjustments, stayed with it and it ends up being a big hit that helped us win a game. I don’t think he’s far off. I think he’s pretty close.”
Boone said Torres’ swing decisions “have been excellent.” Torres ranked in the 92nd percentile in chase percentage and above average in in-zone swing percentage entering Tuesday. He’s also swinging less often than the average MLB player, which has led to him seeing the 11th-most pitches per plate appearance in MLB. Being too passive at the plate could sometimes lead to negative results, but the Yankees don’t want Torres to change his approach yet.
“I wouldn’t say I want him to be more aggressive,” Rowson said. “I want him to be ready to attack a pitch that he can drive. That’s my mindset. If that pitch comes early in the count, that’s great. If it doesn’t come until later in the count, then I want him to lay off until he can get to that point. I want him to follow his game plan. I think he’s been pretty good at that. You can get a little anxious at times. You want to get hits. It’s a matter of being process-oriented and sticking to that. If the process is good, you will come out of this.”
With uncertainty surrounding DJ LeMahieu, who left Tuesday night’s rehab assignment game after one inning due to right foot soreness, there’s even more pressure on Torres to produce. LeMahieu’s return could have occasionally pushed the surging Oswaldo Cabrera to second base to keep his bat in the order. But that’s on hold for now, as LeMahieu is scheduled for more imaging on his foot.
After an 0-for-3 outing in Tuesday’s 4-3 win over the Oakland A’s, Torres was spotted leaving the batting cage after getting extra work in to try to get out of a funk that doesn’t look like it’s ending soon.
“It always surprises me when Gleyber does go through struggles, even though that’s inevitable with hitting, because he’s such a good hitter,” Boone said. “I feel like it’s a matter of time.”
“I feel good,” Torres said. “I think sometimes it’s not going the right way. I feel like I have hit a couple of really good balls and, unfortunately, everything is out. I’ve taken a couple of walks already. Some at-bats, I’m seeing six or seven pitches. Maybe I don’t get the right results, but I’m feeling good. I’m seeing the ball a bit better. I hope I’ll get more consistency soon.”
But before that happens, he has to show he can just simply hit. He’s running career lows in wOBA, xwOBA, barrel percentage and sweet spot percentage. He’s yet to get a hit against any off-speed pitch this season and was hitting just .136 against four-seam fastballs entering Tuesday. Of all the publicly available batted ball metrics, none are encouraging about Torres’ start at the plate.
“Honestly, I don’t feel like he’s in a bad place,” Yankees hitting coach James Rowson said. “He’s close to getting where he needs to be. It’s just a matter of getting a few more opportunities to get that one to fall and that one to land for you with a good swing. I think the knock he had in Toronto was a really good swing. He made some adjustments, stayed with it and it ends up being a big hit that helped us win a game. I don’t think he’s far off. I think he’s pretty close.”
Boone said Torres’ swing decisions “have been excellent.” Torres ranked in the 92nd percentile in chase percentage and above average in in-zone swing percentage entering Tuesday. He’s also swinging less often than the average MLB player, which has led to him seeing the 11th-most pitches per plate appearance in MLB. Being too passive at the plate could sometimes lead to negative results, but the Yankees don’t want Torres to change his approach yet.
“I wouldn’t say I want him to be more aggressive,” Rowson said. “I want him to be ready to attack a pitch that he can drive. That’s my mindset. If that pitch comes early in the count, that’s great. If it doesn’t come until later in the count, then I want him to lay off until he can get to that point. I want him to follow his game plan. I think he’s been pretty good at that. You can get a little anxious at times. You want to get hits. It’s a matter of being process-oriented and sticking to that. If the process is good, you will come out of this.”
With uncertainty surrounding DJ LeMahieu, who left Tuesday night’s rehab assignment game after one inning due to right foot soreness, there’s even more pressure on Torres to produce. LeMahieu’s return could have occasionally pushed the surging Oswaldo Cabrera to second base to keep his bat in the order. But that’s on hold for now, as LeMahieu is scheduled for more imaging on his foot.
After an 0-for-3 outing in Tuesday’s 4-3 win over the Oakland A’s, Torres was spotted leaving the batting cage after getting extra work in to try to get out of a funk that doesn’t look like it’s ending soon.
“It always surprises me when Gleyber does go through struggles, even though that’s inevitable with hitting, because he’s such a good hitter,” Boone said. “I feel like it’s a matter of time.”