For many fans, the biggest takeaway to come out of the New York Yankees' 6-3 win versus the Cleveland Guardians will be the long-awaited Aaron Judge home run. No one on this team is more important than the soon-to-be 2024 American League MVP, but there is an unlikely candidate who can significantly impact its World Series prospects. And he just so happens to be one of the most scrutinized athletes in the area.

Gleyber Torres led off the bottom of the first inning with a double, paving the way for an offensively productive evening in The Bronx. He scored the Yankees' first run and then recorded two more hits to ignite the lineup. Fans might still be reluctant to give the two-time All-Star the benefit of the doubt due to his trend of defensive and baserunning blunders, but his teammates are definitely noticing the positive effect he is having on the rest of the batting order.

“The way [Gleyber Torres has] been setting the tone ever since he started hitting lead-off,” shortstop Anthony Volpe told MLB Network's Lauren Gardner after the Yankees took a 2-0 lead in the AL Championship Series. “He goes, and the guys hitting behind him, we go. {He's} such a great table-setter, and that's the player he is. We're so appreciative to have him.”

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Gleyber Torres is an X-factor for Yankees

Torres' impressive Game 2 showing eased some of the burden that is on New York's star sluggers while also giving them more favorable pitches to hit. If he can apply pressure on opposing hurlers, just like he did during the final two months of the regular season, this ballclub should be able to feast on the Guardians' wobbly starting rotation.

When guys like Torres, Volpe, (2-for-3, two runs scored), Giancarlo Stanton and Alex Verdugo (RBI double) come through, the Yankees are incredibly tough to beat. The two-man lineup narrative has held true for various stretches of the 2024 campaign, but Aaron Judge and Juan Soto are getting valuable help at the perfect time of the year.

That opportune surge could be the thing that finally boosts New York back to the top. What a story it would be if the much-maligned Gleyber Torres acts as the “table-setter” for the franchise's 28th World Series championship team.