Gleyber Torres

Gleyber David Torres Castro (born December 13, 1996) is a Venezuelan professional baseball second baseman for the Detroit Tigers of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the New York Yankees. Torres made his MLB debut in 2018 with the Yankees. He has been named an All-Star in 2018, 2019, and 2025.

Torres was born and raised in Caracas by his parents, Eusebio Torres and Ibelise Castro. Intrigued by the name "Gleyber," his father decided to name Torres after it because of its uniqueness. Torres grew up in a middle-class household. However, life at home devolved into unrest, with many citizens rebelling against the government in the wake of constant food shortages, rampant crime and widespread violence.

Torres started playing baseball at the age of four as a center fielder, catcher, pitcher, and eventually shortstop. His passion for baseball grew watching games on television, while idolizing his favorite player Omar Vizquel. Torres also played basketball briefly in high school, but he quit the sport on his father's instructions in order to focus on baseball.^{[citation needed]}

Academies began to take notice of Torres's talent and wanted to help him become a professional. At 14, Torres moved to Maracay to enroll in an academy that had contacts with MLB scouts.^{[citation needed]}

Torres signed with the Chicago Cubs as an international free agent in 2013 for a $1.7 million signing bonus. He made his professional debut in 2014 with the Arizona Cubs of the Rookie-level Arizona League. He was later promoted to the Boise Hawks of the Low-A Northwest League. In 50 games for the two teams combined, he hit .297/.386/.440 with two home runs.

In 2015, Torres began the season with the South Bend Cubs of the Single-A Midwest League, and was promoted to the Myrtle Beach Pelicans of the High-A Carolina League in September. In 487 at bats over 126 games for the two teams combined, he hit .287/.346/.376 with three home runs and 64 runs batted in (RBI).

Torres started the 2016 season with Myrtle Beach.

On July 25, 2016, the Cubs traded Torres, Adam Warren, Billy McKinney, and Rashad Crawford to the Yankees for relief pitcher Aroldis Chapman. He began his Yankees career playing with the Tampa Yankees of the High-A Florida State League. He finished the 2016 season batting .270/.354/.421 with 11 home runs and 66 RBI for the two High-A teams combined. After the season, the Yankees assigned him to the Scottsdale Scorpions of the Arizona Fall League (AFL). After batting .403 in 76 at-bats with a .513 on-base percentage and a 1.158 OPS, Torres was named the AFL Most Valuable Player. At the age of 19, Torres was the youngest player in the AFL, and the youngest player in history to win the AFL MVP. He was ranked after the 2016 season as the Yankees' top prospect by Baseball America.