Yankees Andújar, Torres on experiencing playoff intensity for the first time

By César Augusto Márquez

Miguel Andújar and Gleyber Torres celebrated with intensity after the Yankees dispatched the Athletics in the American League wild-card game to move onto the Division Series.

The youngsters who helped carry the Yankees’ offense for a good part of the year were the most effusive with the good start to their playoff experience.

“It’s a great joy to be here,” Torres said. “Now we have to continue to focus on the work ahead of us to reach further into the postseason.”

Andújar, who had a hit in his lone at-bat, could not hide his satisfaction either.

“This team has been working all year, and today we showed what we are made of,” Andújar said. “I feel very happy for everything I am experiencing.”

The 2018 season moved quickly for Andújar and Torres as they became two of the top three candidates for the AL Rookie of the Year Award.

Torres, 21, was an All-Star in July and finished with a 2.9 Wins Above Replacement. Andújar, 23, finished with a 2.2 WAR.

The rookies had leading roles in the Yankees’ 100-win season, which was the Bronx Bombers’ first 100-win season since 2009.

For Andújar, the playoff is the climax of a campaign where he could be crowned as the Rookie of the Year.

“It’s very exciting to be in the postseason in my first year,” said Andújar, who had a brief cameo in the majors last year. “Unlike the regular season, this is something we hoped for because we were working all year for this.

“It has been very exciting and we are trying to enjoy it because that is the most important thing.”

Andújar, a native of the Dominican Republican, was in the first group taking batting practice for the Yankees. Taking his swings with fellow starters was unthinkable at the start of the season.

He put together quite the season with an impressive 47 doubles, 27 home runs, 92 RBI and an adjusted OPS of 126.

“I know my name has been included among the candidates for Rookie of the Year,” Andújar said. “That is very nice because I know the other names are those of Gleyber Torres and Shohei Otani, who have also good seasons. But right now I’m trying to enjoy my experience. I think the mentality of the entire time is focused precisely on that.”

Torres is also likely to receive votes for AL Rookie of the Year after hitting 24 homers and had an adjusted OPS of 118 in 123 games. These numbers meant his name would be included on the team’s top offensive lists that often featured names like Hall of Famers Joe DiMaggio and Mickey Mantle.

“Everything that has happened since spring training has been very exciting. Although one works a lot, I could not imagine that it would be like this,” Torres said. “Every hit has been special. However, I think that this is not over yet and the best is yet to come.”

Andújar and Torres combined for 51 of the MLB record 265 home runs the Yankees hit this season. Now they’ll get a taste of one of the best postseason rivalries in American sports when the Yankees face the Red Sox in the Division Series.

“The goal,” Torres said, “will always be to win the World Series.”

Featured Image: Jim McIsaac / Getty Images Sport