New York Yankees infielder Gleyber Torres, much like the rest of the team, has looked like a shell of himself during the second half of the 2022 MLB season. After the Yankees dominated the first half of the year, getting off to a record-setting start and appearing on pace for a historic season, the wheels have completely fallen off. Among the Yankees players who have struggled since the All-Star break is Torres, who went from having a promising year to being an outright detriment to the lineup in a matter of weeks. Speaking with Brendan Kuty of NJ.com, Torres opened up on what's contributing to his disastrous slump at the plate.
Gleyber Torres believes he hasn't been able to adjust to breaking/offspeed pitches in the second half. The numbers bear that out: He's hit .105 vs. them in the second half but .282 vs. them in the first half. https://t.co/EHvaM9sWNw
— Brendan Kuty (@BrendanKutyNJ) September 5, 2022
Torres is under the impression that pitchers are taking a new approach when dealing with him, and the Yankees infielder hasn't been able to keep up.
The Yankees' young second baseman said he feels he's been seeing more offspeed and breaking pitches at the plate, which simply isn't true. What is true, however, is that he's been absolutely dreadful against those pitches during the second half. Kuty indicates that Torres hit .282 vs offspeed and breaking stuff in the first half of the year, a number which has sunk all the way to a pitiful .105 in the second half.
Torres claims he's trying to make the proper adjustment to get out of his slump, though the results are not there yet.
“I haven’t been able to do the adjustment really quick,” said the Yankees star. “I know the last one was a struggle for myself. But I’m working really hard every day and I know in the moment right now I have another opportunity and figure it out quickly, do the adjustment and try to be in the same spot I’ve been in the first couple of months of the season.”
Right about now, the only pitch Torres looks comfortable facing is the fastball. According to Baseball Savant, Torres hit .077 in August against breaking pitches (he faced 140) and .071 against offspeed pitches, of which he faced 49. Against the fastball, which he saw 191 times in August, Torres batted .292. The Yankees need Torres to make the necessary adjustments, and fast.
While the Yankees' second baseman continues to falter at the slightest hint of a pitch mix, perhaps his most concerning trait is his desolate walk rate. Torres has shown virtually no patience at the plate, evidenced by his 5.7% walk rate. Rather than put himself in position to succeed, Torres continues to fail to make the proper adjustments and has been over-aggressive in trying to pull the ball, culminating in his disastrous month of August.
With the Yankees' lead in the AL East decreasing rapidly, Torres and the rest of the squad are running out of time to turn things around offensively.
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