Aaron Boone destroys All-Star Game voters for Gleyber Torres snub
After Gleyber Torres was overlooked for the AL All-Star team Wednesday, when Tampa Bay’s Brandon Lowe and Boston’s Xander Bogaerts were named as injury replacements, Aaron Boone didn’t hide his displeasure.
“I think it’s a joke he’s not on that team,’’ Boone said before the Yankees faced the Mets at Citi Field. “Gleyber Torres, not an All-Star? You can kick rocks on that one. That’s ridiculous.”
Lowe and Bogaerts will take the place of the Angels’ Tommy La Stella and Hunter Pence of Texas.
When it comes to the numbers, Lowe, Bogaerts and Torres aren’t far apart, with similar WAR, OPS and OPS-plus, but Boone pointed to some other parts of the game he believes should have set Torres apart.
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“He’s been unbelievable for us, for a first-place club,’’ Boone said of Torres, who entered Wednesday hitting .295 with 19 homers and 48 RBIs. “The offensive consistency he’s had, the power, the on-base [ability], playing both positions in the middle of the infield, it doesn’t seem right to me that he’s not on that team.”
Torres has been a key part of a Yankees offense that has been without significant pieces throughout the season, with Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton, Didi Gregorius, Miguel Andujar, Aaron Hicks, Gary Sanchez and — most recently — Luke Voit spending time on the injured list.
Through it all, Torres has been excellent at the plate and solid defensively. His versatility in the field allowed the Yankees to survive without Gregorius for the first months of the season as Gregorius recovered from offseason Tommy John surgery and his replacement, Troy Tulowitzki, suffer multiple leg injuries.
Plus, Torres has been very good at second base since Gregorius’ return. He made a superb play to start a double play in Tuesday’s loss to the Mets and also had another RBI.
Asked why he thought Torres didn’t make it, Boone said, “I don’t know. I don’t know.”
“I know there’s all kinds of players’ and coaches’ and fan voting and every team needs to be represented,’’ Boone said. “When I got word in London that [Aroldis Chapman] made it and Luke and Gleyber hadn’t — and a couple other guys that maybe deserved it — I delivered the news to Aroldis, but I also spoke with Gleyber and Luke and told them they were deserving.”
Torres’ absence from Tuesday’s All-Star Game in Cleveland leaves the Yankees with just three players, with Sanchez and Chapman joining DJ LeMahieu. Lowe is nursing a right leg injury that forced him from Tuesday’s game, so Torres still could be added to the roster.
“I understand there are a lot of moving parts that make it difficult and ultimately every year you’re gonna have guys that are certainly deserving that don’t get in that game,’’ Boone said of Torres, who was on last year’s AL All-Star team. “But the Gleyber one is one of those that’s a head-scratcher for me.’’
Torres entered Wednesday with hits in five straight games, going 8-for-16 in that stretch.
Despite Torres not getting the nod, Boone is confident he’s respected.
“I think he’s appreciated around the game as a great player, just 22 years old,’’ Torres said. “I’m really proud of the continued strides I’ve seen with him since he got called up last year. He was an impact player for us right away and the little subtle ways he’s improved, I feel like he’s met every challenge and become more polished and well-rounded player at a young age.”
He’ll just have to wait a bit longer to say he’s an All-Star again.