New Kid on the Block

The block of course, is 161st Street between River and Jerome Avenues in the Bronx. And Gleyber Torres, the new kid is making sweet music with his bat and glove. Sunday, his three-run homer off Dan Otero with two on in the bottom of the 9th gave the Yankees a 7-4 win over the Indians -- and a series sweep. In the 15th game of his still budding career, Torres became the youngest Yankee ever with a walk-off home run. His blast slipped him past the beloved Mickey Mantle -- at 21 years and 144 days old, or 41 days younger than the Mick when he set the mark in 1953.

This 15 & 1 streak has been fueled by youth -- Torres' heroics ended a game that featured six no-hit innings as Domingo German joined the starting rotation.

And... There's... More...!!! Channeling your favorite late night TV commercials, Torres and German delivered as have Miguel Andujar, Tyler Austin, Aaron Judge, Gary Sanchez and Luis Severino. Farm fresh from the Yankees minor leagues to the big ballpark in the Bronx.

This Yankee season has a refreshingly different vibe thanks to the kids. Great scouting combined with some astute trades put the prospects together. Organizational self-discipline helped nurture, not rush, the young talent. Analytics-driven wisdom restrained them from too many hasty moves. And patience from the fans, who bought into the concept of a well-designed rebuild on the fly.
(These images of Gleyber Torres are from his very first Yankee game, on April 22nd.)

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