Torres, Andujar garner back to back Rookie of the Month awards

It took only one year for the Yankees to get back to their winning ways.  After a terrible 2015 campaign that ended with a lifeless 2-0 loss to the Houston Astros in the American League Wild Card game, Brian Cashman determined that it was time for a change. He revamped the team during the 2016 season, traded away many assets (Andrew Miller, Aroldis Chapman) to re-stock the farm system. Cashman and the Yankees went with a youth approach that the franchise hadn’t seen in quite a while.

The gamble paid off as youngsters Aaron Judge, Gary Sanchez, and Didi Gregorius vaulted the Yankees into the ALCS and one game away from the World Series last season. It was a disappointing result, but the fact that the Yankees best years are ahead of them is a scary thought. It’s even scarier that these three are now considered veterans on a loaded squad with many young stars.

The two young stars that are going the path of Judge and Sanchez this year are Gleyber Torres and Miguel Andujar. Torres won the award in the month of May, hitting .317 with nine home runs and 24 RBIs. Torres has shown a lot more pop than people expected and although he’s had some hiccups, he’s been excellent in the field as well. He is a bonafide contender for Rookie of the Year so far.

Gleyber’s competition?  The Rookie of the Month for June and teammate Miguel Andujar. Andujar was on fire the entire first month of the season, cooled down in May but then heated back up in June. Andujar batted .264 with seven home runs, 20 RBIs and more doubles (6) than one can count.  He’s been an extra-base hit machine all year and leads the league in that category for rookies.

Between the two rookies, they may win Rookie of the Year every month the way things are going. Torres and Andujar are both exceptional players, and the future is so bright for this team. Even if they don’t win the World Series this year, they have all the pieces in place for another dynasty. It’s a good time to be a Yankees fan.