Yankees' 21-year-old phenom makes AL history after homering in 4 consecutive games
Even though the Yankees have sluggers like Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton on their team, it’s a rookie who is generating most of the headlines out of the Bronx.
Twenty-one-year-old second baseman Gleyber Torres made MLB history on Friday against the Angels, becoming the youngest player in American League history to homer in four consecutive games.
Gleyber Torres is the 7th player in MLB history, and 1st in American League history, to hit a HR in 4 straight games at the age of 21 or younger. (h/t @EliasSports)
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) May 26, 2018
Torres has a total of five home runs total in his past four games, meaning he’s accomplished yet another incredible feat.
Gleyber Torres has hit five homers over his last five games, becoming the third-youngest player in MLB history to do that. Only Willie Mays (1951) and Miguel Cabrera (2004) were younger.#Yankees #Angels 7pm @MLBNetwork
— Elias Sports Bureau (@EliasSports) May 25, 2018
Torres’ seventh-inning shot Friday off Jim Johnson proved to be the winning run in the Yankees’ 2-1 victory over the Angels.
This is getting ridiculous now, Gleyber Torres. pic.twitter.com/zUSqY9o4PV
— SI MLB (@si_mlb) May 26, 2018
When notified of the illustrious list of players he joined with his homer, Torres couldn’t hide his excitement.
“I heard the news,” Torres said with a smile, per ESPN.
“I feel proud for that. I feel good,” Torres said. “But I feel great because I’m helping the team and we win. That’s what’s important.”
Torres got called up to the big leagues in April after spending the first part of the season in Triple-A. He joined the Yankees organization in 2016 after being traded from the Cubs as part of the deal that sent closer Aroldis Chapman to Chicago, though Chapman has since returned to the Yankees.
In the 28 games in which Torres has played, the Yankees have gone 22-6. They currently sit just one game behind the Red Sox for first place in the AL East.
Overall, Torres has hit .333 with an amazing 1.038 OPS.
While Torres’ impressive start may come as a surprise to some fans, if you hear his skipper talk about him, then this is exactly what the second baseman expected.
“I’ve had that conversation with him where he says, ‘I’ve been preparing for this my whole life and certainly the last couple years in the minor leagues,’ and I think he just plays the game with a lot of confidence, but I think his intelligence is very evident,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said, according to Newsday. “When you combine intelligence and instincts and talent, you’re looking at what’s been a really special player for us.”
Judge has also been impressed by the rookie, who has come up huge in clutch situations.
“No situation has been too big for him,” Judge said. “It doesn’t matter if we’re down a couple runs, or we’re up a couple runs or if we need a big hit, he always comes through. He just never looks like the moment’s too big for him.”
If Torres’ bat stays hot all season, then the Yankees have a good chance of producing the AL Rookie of the Year in back-to-back seasons. Judge won the award last season, while catcher Gary Sanchez came in second in 2016.
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