New-look Gleyber Torres says World Baseball Classic, Winter League gave him a jump start on new season

Gleyber Torres is off to a torrid start, and he believes international competition has something to do with that.

The Yankees’ second baseman missed a chunk of spring training while suiting up for Venezuela in the World Baseball Classic. While Torres played sparingly in the tournament — he went 1-for-10 — the Caracas native thinks the high-intensity games put him ahead of the curve by the time the regular season began.

“It’s a little bit different than a normal spring,” Torres said upon rejoining the Yankees on March 21. “I feel like those kinds of games and situations helped me because it’s like World Series, playoffs every day.”

But Torres also played 11 games in the Venezuelan Winter League during the offseason. There, he slashed .289/.365/.378 with two homers, six RBI and five stolen bases for Leones del Caracas. More importantly, he used that time to fix “little things” in his swing while working on his ability to hit breaking balls and his patience at the plate.

“Don’t strike out a lot,” Torres joked when asked what he sought to change. He added that winter ball offered opportunities to face veteran pitchers while improving his approach.

Now seven games into his 2023 season, it appears Torres’ tweaks are paying off. Yes, the sample is small, but the 26-year-old is hitting .409 with a 1.278 OPS, one double, two home runs and six RBI. Both home runs have gone the opposite way at Yankee Stadium; Torres is showing a willingness to take what he’s given that he hasn’t always in the past.

“It feels good,” Torres said Wednesday after lining a double and picking up two RBI singles in the Yankees’ 4-2 win over the Phillies. “I feel really comfortable every at-bat. I feel like I’ve got really good patience at home plate right now. I’m just not trying to do too much. Just trying to get the pitch I can do damage, and just try to have really good at-bats every time I go to home plate.”

Torres added that he feels “a little bit more relaxed” thanks to the players hitting around him.

That calmness has resulted in seven walks, compared to just two strikeouts. Torres didn’t pick up his seventh free pass until May 16 last season.

“[He’s] just been really patient, under control at-bats,” Aaron Boone said. “That’s what he’s capable of. We’ve seen that.”

What Yankees fans haven’t seen is Torres swiping bags at the rate he is right now.

In addition to his production at the plate, Torres is 5-for-6 on stolen base attempts. While he’s reached double-digits the last two years, he’s never stolen more than 14 times in a season (2021).

At this rate, Torres will easily surpass that personal best, and that’s no coincidence.

While baseball’s new rules — including bigger bases and limited pick-off throws — have made a difference, Torres attributed his increased running to the confidence Boone has shown in him. The two talked about stealing more in spring training, and Torres spent time practicing the skill.

“He’s fearless on the basepaths, and instinctual,” Boone said. “He’s doing a really good job of being patient. Obviously, [he’s] picking his spots wisely. I’ve just been really pleased with him on the bases so far this year. It’s absolutely been a factor, and it’s a credit to him working on different things and just continuing to gain experience and learn from things, because he is instinctual there. As he continues to gain experience with it, hopefully that continues to serve him well.”

So far, just about everything Torres is doing is serving himself well after a period of uncertainty clouded his future with the Yankees.

The infielder took notice of trade rumors last summer and over the offseason, but he swears he’s not playing with a chip on his shoulder. He is motivated to remain in pinstripes, though, and he’s making a strong case to do so with an early-season performance that has Boone hoping the prime of Torres’ career has arrived.

“I just want to be here [a] long time,” Torres said. “I feel home right here. So if I have to do something better, I try to do it.”