Yankees World Series hopes rest on the shoulders of Miguel Andujar and Gleyber Torres

Miguel Andujar and Gleyber Torres are still technically rookies, but the Yankees need them to play like All-Stars in October.

The Yankees are going to need a lot of things to go right if they want to win the World Series. One thing they certainly can’t afford is for Miguel Andujar and Gleyber Torres to be intimidated by the occasion. Instead, they need their two talented rookies to turn into postseason stars.

In some ways, it’s silly to call both players rookies at this stage of the season. Both have been regulars in Aaron Boone’s lineup for the majority of the year. Andujar has appeared in 143 games to date while Torres has been involved 118 times. Torres trails Andujar due to the time he spent on the disabled list.

With that being said, October baseball is still a different animal. Everyone’s statistic get wiped clean when the postseason arrives. That means both Andujar and Torres will be asked to prove their worth all over again. If the Yankees are going to make an extended playoff run, they need both guys to thrive under the intense limelight.

Unfortunately for Yankees fans, there are significant reasons to be worried about both players. That doesn’t mean they both don’t have the ability to play like stars in the postseason, there are just little reasons why counting on that might not be the most logical decision.

For Andujar, the questions center around his defense. Physically, he has all of the tools required to perform as a league average third baseman. He isn’t the most mobile guy in the major leagues, but he’s got an above average arm. For whatever reason, he hasn’t performed as an adequate defender this year. His fielding percentage of just .946 is just one of his ugly defensive statistics.

Fielding isn’t something that typically gets better when pressure is applied to a player. Every time the ball is hit to Andujar during the postseason it has the potential to turn into a negative story. If he makes an error or two early, it could snowball into a real issue for Boone and the organization.

The reason for concern about Torres are all about the way he’s been hitting lately. He wass only batting .217 over a stretch of seven games at the end of September and he went over 15 games since between home runs. That’s a relatively small sample size, but it’s starting to be an issue for the Yankees. The team is trying to give him some rest this week to help get him going before the playoffs arrive. Time will tell if that proves to be an effective tactic.

While there are valid reasons for concern, there are also significant reasons for optimism. Andujar is a doubles machine. He’s shown the ability to hit elite pitching throughout the course of this season. It’s pretty easy to envision him getting really hot with the bat in October. Defensively, the bar isn’t set very high for him. As long as he makes the ordinary plays at third, he won’t attract any negative attention.

Torres has shown a knack for getting the big hit for the Yankees this season. He’s got the mindset that he’s the best player in the game every time he steps onto the field. That makes him susceptible to slumps, but it also means he can get white-hot with the bat in his hands. If he rediscovers his stroke just before the postseason begins he could easily emerge as one of baseball’s brightest postseason stars.

In the end, it may be unfair to heap this type of pressure on two rookies, but the Yankees have been doing it all year-long. October will give Andujar and Torres a chance to shine brighter than ever before. Now we just have to see if they can take advantage of the opportunity.