Fans of the New York Yankees celebrated Gleyber Torres in his return to the Bronx on Tuesday night.
Torres, in turn, shared his love and appreciation for the team and fans he played in front of for the first seven years of his major-league career.
Torres made his return to Yankee Stadium as a member of the Detroit Tigers but reflected on his time with the Yankees after his team’s 12-2 win.
Torres went 1 for 3 with two walks, a double, an RBI and one run scored Tuesday.
What Did Gleyber Torres Say About Playing For the Yankees?
Torres was a constant source of consternation for a vocal sector of Yankees fans. His defensive struggles at second base — he led the majors in errors in both 2023 (15) and 2024 (18) — caused fans to call for his dismissal and ultimately led to the trade that brought Jazz Chisholm Jr. from the Miami Marlins.
Still, Torres declared his love for New York, even if things didn’t necessarily come easy to him.
“I really loved playing in New York,” Torres said, according to ESPN.com. “That’s the city everybody wants to play in. It was never pressure. It’s just frustration in the moment because I [didn’t] do my job. I didn’t play good defensively. At the [time], offensively, I didn’t do the job.
“As a player, you got egos and when things aren’t going your way, you’re always going to feel frustration because you’re young and that’s the big thing.”
But Torres always hit when he was with the Yankees. From his rookie season where he finished third in AL Rookie of the Year voting — behind Shohei Ohtani and then-teammate Miguel Anduar — to the playoffs, where Torres had a .745 OPS in 2024, Torres was a linchpin in top of the Yankees lineup.
“I really liked the fans and everything from when I was playing here,” Torres said. “Fortunately, whatever happened last year is in the past. I always tried to do the best for the team and for the fans. I tried to bring the energy every night when I got the opportunity to play.”
Those were the moments that Yankees fans remembered when they serenaded Torres with a loud ovation before his first at-bat in the first inning Tuesday. That also led to a video montage, where fans cheered Torres again, before the second inning.
“It feels amazing,” Torres said. “I really, really appreciate the video, the fans’ ovation. That’s going to be a moment, I really never forget it. I feel so happy. As a player when you do the right thing and the fans show some love for you, it’s really special.”
What Did Gleyber Torres Say About Playing For the Tigers?
Though the pressure is far less intense in the Motor City than among Yankees fans, Torres still feels an innate desire to improve.
“Playing with Detroit, it’s the same mentality,” Torres said. “Do the best I can do for the team and it’s never pressure. It’s just, I think, the pressure is on myself to get better every time and do my job. I think that’s always my mentality.”
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