Guardians Baseball Insider

Age (Majority 2021 season): 20
Throws: Right
Height: 6’1; Weight: 205
Acquired: Draft – CBA – 2018
Rule 5 eligible: 2022

Background & Info – 2020 status: The righty made a successful 2018 debut posting a 12.9 SO9 and a 2.3 BB9 (22 K’s / 4 BB), surrendering 14 hits in 15.1 IP in the Arizona League. Torres injured his elbow in May 2019, requiring Tommy John reconstructive surgery. The New York native missed all of the 2020 season due to the coronavirus pandemic, but he spent the season rebuilding arm strength. Since being drafted, Torres has added healthy weight and strength to his frame. He’s near maxed out physically with slight projection left. He’s strong and athletic in appearance with powerful delivery.

Delivery: Think of power and explosiveness when it comes to the right-hander’s delivery. While he’s a smaller framed righty, he’s strong and athletic in his delivery with a quick arm and leg action. It’s a quick set, letter high lead leg left. He progresses through his load and delivery, quickly releasing the ball from a low three-quarters arm slot. His athletic delivery appears to give him extension for his size. Torres appears to have shortened his arm circle, dropping some length in his inverted elbow extension. This small change is something Cleveland has successfully made with other arms, notably Shane Beiber, Zach Plesac, and Aaron Civale.

Stuff

Fastball: His fastball sits in the 92-95 mph range and touches 97, with reports of 98 pre-injury. Torres is rumored to be back up to 97 mph since TJS. His fastball is explosive and appears to get on hitters quickly, making it difficult for hitters to catch up. The right-hander’s fastball has plus projection reportedly sitting more consistently in the 94-95 mph range.
Grade: 55

Slider: Sitting low-80’s Torres’ slider can get strikes looking and swinging and missing. It is an above-average pitch with plus projection. He reportedly records high spin rates with his breaking ball.
Grade: 55

Changeup: Sits in the mid-80’s. Torres’ change is the least of his three-pitch mix, as a cold-weather arm, that’s no surprise. He was one of the younger arms available in the 2018 MLB Draft and is now coming back from TJS, leaving him more unrefined than the club would have liked at this point. All that said, his change still has average potential.
Grade: 50

Command+Control: Pitchers recovering from Tommy John usually find their control last. With no minor league season for the right-hander in 2020, he’ll have to find his control this season. Torres has shown average control in the past; expect more of the same as he returns to the mound.
Control Grade: 50 – Command Grade: 45

Intangibles

Torres has high-level experience pitching with USA Baseball’s National Team. The righty could have two plus pitches when fully developed. He’s still young with development ahead. Torres has a reputation for being both a hard worker and intelligent.

Overall

Torres is one of the more exciting young arms in the farm system for Cleveland. The young right-hander has power stuff and big-time upside. He’s yet to pitch since TJS officially but was limited last season because of the pandemic and recovery. 

Grade: 45

Future/Roles: Torres’s future could be in the middle of the starting rotation. There’s potential for more, but as with any young pitcher, that could go either way, with some projecting him as a potential bullpen arm long-term.

Risk: High

2021 Status: Low-A Lynchburg

ETA: 2023