WATCH: Gleyber Torres imitates EPL star Cole Palmer to celebrate home run in Royals vs. Yankees ALDS Game 1
Gleyber Torres smashed a two-run homer for the home team when the New York Yankees hosted the Kansas City Royals for their 6-5 win in Game 1 of the American League Division Series. Torres paid tribute to the young English Premier League star Cole Palmer by employing the soccer player's celebration while he rounded off the bases to score the run.
The New York Yankees posted a video clip of the long ball from Gleyber Torres on their official profile on X, formerly Twitter.
The Royals were leading 1-0 in the bottom of the third inning with no outs when Gleyber Torres stepped up to the plate. The Yankees second baseman faced right-hander Michael Wacha on the mound, with Alex Verdugo as the runner standing on first base.
On a 1-1 count, Wacha delivered a 94-mph sinker that ended up hanging high in the middle of the strike zone. Torres capitalized on the errant pitch with a powerful swing to send the ball beyond Tommy Pham on the right field wall for an opposite-field home run.
Torres then looked towards the home team dugout and crossed his hands across his chest as he trotted on the basepath to complete the run. The gesture was borrowed from the English soccer player Cole Palmer, who employs the same celebration move after scoring a goal.
Cole Palmer is currently one of the finest soccer players in Europe, having left his hometown club Manchester City to join Chelsea last year. The 22-year-old had an outstanding debut campaign with the London club, winning several awards such as PFA Fans' Player of the Year and Young Player of the Year. Last week, Palmer became the first player to score four goals in the first half of an EPL game.
Gleyber Torres leads Yankees comeback for narrow win over Royals in ALDS Game 1
Gleyber Torres did not have a particularly good regular season in 2024 and batted .257/.330/.378 for the year with 15 home runs, 61 RBIs, and an OPS+ of 101. Yet, it was the 27-year-old Venezuelan, who provided the initial spark for the Yankees in their hard-fought 6-5 comeback win over the Royals in Game 1 of the ALDS on Saturday evening.
Despite the presence of Aaron Judge and Juan Soto, Gleyber Torres was the most productive hitter for the Yankees on the night. He went 1-3 during the game, which also included two walks along with his two-run homer. Moreover, Torres started the fifth inning with a leadoff base on balls, which ultimately scored a crucial run for his team when catcher Austin Wells earned another walk with the bases loaded.
The ALDS between the Yankees and the Royals will resume with Game 2 on Monday evening.