Here’s why Miguel Andujar is exactly what Yankees fans need right now

1. He takes pressure off Torres

There is zero question that Gleyber Torres has the talent to become an excellent Major League player. The biggest risk to Torres’ development is the massive pressure that was inevitably going to accompany his call up to the big club.

Andujar’s hot start has done something to take a bit of the heat off Torres to produce immediately. He won’t be able to buy Torres an entire season in obscurity, but he might keep the media away from overanalyzing him for another week or two.

For example, most Yankee fans haven’t even noticed that Torres didn’t get his first hit until last night’s game against the Twins. His one of eight start is a ridiculously low sample size for concern, but it still might have gained more attention if not for Andujar’s relative heroics.

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In the long run, most everyone associated with the Yankees believes that Torres will emerge as a superstar while Andujar’s ceiling might be as an above-average regular. You can’t overestimate how important Andujar’s early play will be in giving Torres the time and space to develop at his own pace. That’s not a luxury normally afforded to Yankees prospects, but Torres is getting the benefit of the doubt currently. He has Andujar to thank for that.