Yankees vs. Red Sox: Who has the edge at each position?

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - OCTOBER 03: Aaron Judge #99 of the New York Yankees celebrates after scoring a run off of a double hit by Aaron Hicks #31 during the sixth inning against the Oakland Athletics in the American League Wild Card Game at Yankee Stadium on October 03, 2018 in the Bronx borough of New York City. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images) /

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NEW YORK, NEW YORK – OCTOBER 03: Gleyber Torres #25 of the New York Yankees celebrates after defeating the Oakland Athletics in the American League Wild Card Game at Yankee Stadium on October 03, 2018 in the Bronx borough of New York City. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images) /

Gleyber Torres vs. Ian Kinsler

Boston acquired Ian Kinsler to give their lineup a shot in the arm down the stretch. He’s been steady this season for the Red Sox, but he’s nothing spectacular.

Gleyber Torres, on the other hand, has flashed moments of brilliance in his rookie season. He’ll almost certainly finish in the top 5 for this year’s AL Rookie of the Year voting. Specifically, his 24 home run season caught everyone off guard. Hitting for average wasn’t a surprise, but his power surge was.

In terms of offensive production, Torres gets the clear nod. However, his mental lapses in the field and on the base paths are a cause for concern for Yankee fans. Those deficiencies will improve as his career progresses, but this piece is only concerned with how he’s going to play in the upcoming series.

In the end, Kinsler makes up for some of Torres’ offensive advantage with his steady fielding at second base. It’s not enough to close the gap, but this matchup isn’t quite as one-sided as Yankees fans would like to believe. Torres still gets a decided edge.

Advantage: Yankees

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