Mid-Season Report Card: Ronald Torreyes
Grade: B+
As mentioned before, Starlin Castro is expected to come off the DL soon after the All-Star break, meaning that Torreyes’s days as the Yanks’ starting second baseman are number. However, I expect him to go back to being the solid bench player that he is, with a couple starts every week to give Castro, Didi, and Chase Headley days off at their respective positions. Once the trade deadline comes around, however, things might change for him. If the Yankees acquire a third baseman and/or first baseman, Headley’s role on the team could change to the backup infielder. If so, Torreyes will become expendable. I don’t really expect this to happen, but it’s a possibility.
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After a 2016 where Ronald Torreyes, “Toe,”
really did not have much of a place on the Yankees roster, and got close to no
playing time, 2017 has been a very different story. Not only has Toe proved to
be a perfect bench piece for the Yankees, he’s been adequate as a starting
position player as well. He’s been everything the Yankees could have hoped for
at this point in the season, not to mention being one of the more fun players
on the roster as well.
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| Photo via Elsa of Getty Images |
First Half Performance:
Torreyes broke in as the Yankees
Opening Day shortstop after Didi’s shoulder injury in the World Baseball
Classic. He took advantage of the opportunity automatically, and became an RBI
machine the first two weeks of the season, driving in 13 by April 22. He had 12
all of last year, by the way. Toe also earned his place in the hearts of
Yankees fans by clubbing the first homer of the season for the Bombers, which
was just his second career bomb.
Once Didi returned from the
disabled list, things started to slow down for Torreyes. He still managed to
get his share of starts, filling in at third, short, and second, but his
appearances were less frequent than in the first month of the season. However,
once June rolled around and the injury bug ravaged the Yankees roster,
particularly Starlin Castro, Toe became the Yanks’ go-to second base option,
ahead of Tyler Wade. With Castro out until after the All-Star break, Toe got
the bulk of time at second and a few starts at third in the final weeks leading
up to the break. His overall line isn’t anything spectacular, at
.278/.306/.364, but once again, he’s a bench player playing full time due to
necessity. He’s done the job that the Yankees have needed him to, and then
some. Plus, who could ever forget this iconic photo?
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| Photo via Yankees Magazine |
Expectations for the Second Half:
As mentioned before, Starlin Castro is expected to come off the DL soon after the All-Star break, meaning that Torreyes’s days as the Yanks’ starting second baseman are number. However, I expect him to go back to being the solid bench player that he is, with a couple starts every week to give Castro, Didi, and Chase Headley days off at their respective positions. Once the trade deadline comes around, however, things might change for him. If the Yankees acquire a third baseman and/or first baseman, Headley’s role on the team could change to the backup infielder. If so, Torreyes will become expendable. I don’t really expect this to happen, but it’s a possibility.
Conclusion:
Torreyes is one of my personal
favorite Yankees at this point in the season, and it’s not hard to tell why. He’s
not the best player on the team by any means, but he will go out and get his job
done the best he can. He works hard and puts the ball in play. What more could
you want from a baseball player? He’s a perfect fit for the Yankee bench, and
even though Tyler Wade is destined to be the Yankees’ primary utility man going
forward, I hope Toe is able to stick with the team for a long time. Seeing Didi
lift him up to high five Judge will never get old.
Article by: Alex Weir
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