New York Yankees Infielders, Continued
Gleyber Torres (3.4 fWAR) is a part of perhaps the greatest heist in MLB history – Brian Cashman traded Aroldis Chapman for Torres in 2016 and then signed Chapman back in 2017 – this postseason he has shown that the big moment really isn’t so big after all.
The only knock one can have against Torres is that he can be streaky at times and somewhat lazy defensively. As he matures as a player, the patience at the plate should come. Also, should an untimely error be made on his behalf, the Yankee faithful will let him hear it.
All in all, however, this season, Gleyber proved that he can hit (.278 AVG, .337 OBP, .535 SLG), he can field, and he can come through when the team needs him most. This has given the team and the fanbase the confidence that the Yanks will be relevant for the foreseeable future.
FINAL LETTER GRADE FOR 2019: B+
While Gary Sanchez (2.3 fWAR) spent a good chunk of time on the IL the season when on the field he showed great promise both offensively and defensively.
Defensively, Gary has always taken a lot of flack for passed balls. In fact, he led the league in 2017 and 2018 with 16 and 18 PB respectively.
In 2019, however, those numbers dropped precipitously. This season, Gary only had 7 passed balls, gaining the confidence of his team behind the plate.
Offensively, Gary’s average (.232) remained suboptimal. However, his power production (.525 SLG) was absolutely stellar. In fact, his Barrels/PA % (11.7) was 2nd highest among MLB players, trailing only Nelson Cruz of the Minnesota Twins.
FINAL LETTER GRADE FOR 2019: B