00:00If you are a Detroit Tigers fan, you have likely been watching the prospects closely for years,
00:05but this spring, there is a new veteran in camp who knows exactly what those young players are
00:10going through. When Gleyber Torres walked into the Tigers complex at Joker Marchant Stadium this
00:14past week, he did not have to look far to be reminded of his own past. Just a few feet
00:19away
00:19in the clubhouse sat Kevin McGonigal and Max Clark. According to MLB Pipeline, McGonigal is
00:25currently ranked as the number two overall prospect in the sport. While Clark holds the
00:29number 10 spot, Torres is preparing for his first season with Detroit after spending the majority of
00:35his career with the Yankees, as he suited up for the Grapefruit League opener against his former team
00:39at George M. Steinbrenner Field on Saturday. He reflected on his own rookie days. He was asked
00:45if any Yankees veterans helped him when he was in that exact position. Torres explained that he was
00:50very close with Didi Gregorius and Aaron Hicks. He admitted he was nervous back then, but they
00:55treated him really well from the very beginning. He specifically recalled a moment with C.C.
01:00Sabathia, who told him to just play his game and not worry about the old rookie rules. Sabathia told
01:06him he was part of the team and to just do his thing, which made him feel better and gave
01:10him
01:10confidence. It was fitting then that Torres took the field at second base for Saturday's game.
01:16Although the final score ended up being a 20-3 loss to the Yankees, there was a significant moment
01:21happening on the diamond. To his right, playing shortstop, was Kevin McGonigal. They worked
01:26together as a double-play partnership. Torres tries his best to pay forward the help he received on his
01:31way to the big leagues. He mentioned that he does not talk a lot because he does not want to
01:34feel like
01:35the old guy. But he makes sure to tell the young players that whatever they need, they should just
01:40ask him. He tries to reach out to them based on what he sees in practice and help them. He
01:45believes the
01:45best way to contribute is to make them feel part of the team. Regardless of whether they have played
01:51in the big leagues yet or are still coming up from the minors, he wants to make them feel comfortable
01:56to do the right thing. That effort has not gone unnoticed. McGonigal stated that both Glaber and
02:02Javier Baez have been nothing but great to work with. He explained that just by watching them go about
02:06their business on the diamond, their footwork and their patterns while playing defense, it has been
02:11really special to observe and learn as much as possible. Torres and McGonigal have actually been
02:17working together to some degree since before spring training officially began. Both players reported to
02:22camp early. Once full squad workouts started this week, they began taking ground balls in the same
02:28infield group on certain days. They did not need much time to get comfortable with each other. During the
02:34game on Saturday, they teamed up to execute a 4-6-3 double play that looked completely routine.
02:40That play helped starter Keiter Montero escape a turbulent first inning that had already seen two
02:46runs score. McGonigal later described that moment as pretty cool. He was glad he got some action out
02:51there and stated that turning a double play with Glaber was really special. Torres actually set the
02:56table for McGonigal earlier in that same inning. McGonigal fought off a 100.5-mile-per-hour fastball from
03:02Yankees pitching prospect Carlos Lagrange and lined a single into left field. McGonigal explained his
03:08preparation after the game, noting that he had faced Lagrange last July when he was with Double A
03:12Erie. To refresh his memory, he studied video of his at-bats from that specific game. He said he
03:18always treats every game the same, whether it is the Arizona Fall League, the regular season,
03:23or spring training. He always tries to go out, compete, and help the team win, which is why he did
03:29his studying the night before. Following that, Torres centered a 98.2-mile-per-hour fastball and sent a
03:35sharp ground ball back up the middle, moving McGonigal over to second base. From there,
03:40McGonigal kicked in. Lagrange struck out Colt Keith on three pitches, but the third strike was in the dirt.
03:55The ball bounced far enough away from catcher Ali Sanchez that McGonigal took off for third. There
04:00might have been a play, but Sanchez's throw sailed behind McGonigal and into left field, allowing him
04:05to continue home and score easily. McGonigal admitted after the game that he hesitated, which
04:09he knew was not good, and that he should have broken for third immediately when he saw the ball
04:13in the dirt. Still, it was one of the few highlights on a day where Detroit trailed from the very
04:18first
04:19inning. It also served as a reminder of what McGonigal can do with his instincts, complementing the
04:24explosive power he displayed during his 19-homer season last year. As for Torres, he does not
04:29necessarily have to feel like the veteran just yet, considering he does not turn 30 until December.
04:35However, he, already, feels comfortable in Detroit. That comfort level played a major role in his
04:41decision back on November 18, when he accepted the Tigers' qualifying offer. Besides the hope of
04:46bouncing back from the sports hernia that bothered him last season, which required surgery in the off-season,
04:52he felt the situation was right. He mentioned that they looked at the free agent market and
04:57touched base with a couple of teams, but coming back here was an easy choice. He described last
05:04year as a really good year for him personally, stating he felt at home from the first day.
05:09He knows the group and knows that as an organization, they really want to compete. He feels that what
05:15happened last year showed them what they want for the future, and he believes they have a lot of
05:19opportunity to do a little bit better. Personally, he was not satisfied with his second half due to
05:24the injury and the pain. He is proud. The organization gave him the opportunity with the
05:28qualifying offer, acknowledging that it is not an easy offer to make for one year. For him, it is
05:34another year to prove himself, get better, and help the team. Now after seeing the way Glaber Torres is
05:39already working with Kevin McGonigal, and hearing how much that mentorship meant to him when he was a rookie,
05:44I have to ask you, how important do you think that veteran presence is for a team that is relying
05:49on
05:50the number 2 and number 10 prospects in all of baseball to lead them into the future?
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