Who was the Yankees’ MVP in the ALDS?

The American League Division Series has concluded with the Yankees sweeping the Twins in just three games. Entering the series, an avalanche of homers was expected, what with the way these two teams performed in the regular season. For the most part, though, both pitching staffs were able to keep the ball in the park. The Yankees blasted five homers, and the Twins four.

Because the balls weren’t flying the way many originally thought they would, both teams had to try to come up with runs in other ways. If it weren’t for Gleyber Torres and Didi Gregorius coming through in big spots, the series could have been closer.

Torres and Gregorius probably came up bigger than any other player in the series. Who should win a hypothetical “ALDS MVP” award? Let’s look at the tale of the tape.

Gleyber Torres

The 22-year-old second baseman has had an incredible postseason thus far. In Game One, with the scored knotted at three in the fifth inning, he came up with a huge two-run double with the bases loaded to put the Yankees ahead for good. In the series-clinching game, Torres went 3-for-4, including a solo homer to get the Bombers on the board first. The youngster also showed off his legs by stealing second and third base in the final game. Even Aaron Judge was so impressed with his performance that he awarded “GT” with the championship belt.

In just his second year in the league, Gleyber Torres is proving he is on his way to stardom, (if he’s not already at that level.) For the series, he hit a .417 and an outrageous OPS of 1.378. Those numbers are unfathomable, good for a .550 wOBA and a 254 wRC+. Silly, small-sample numbers that underscore how strong of a series he put forth. And those figures don’t even hint at the impact he made on defense:

At such a young age, Torres has shown no moment is too big for him, and he figures to be a cornerstone on this team for years and years to come.

Didi Gregorius

There are three things certain in life: death, taxes, and Didi Gregorius dominating the Twins. Coming into the postseason, there were fans out there that wanted Gregorius on the bench. His bat fell silent at times over the summer, and his defense may have slipped. Well, he did his best to force us all to forget an uneven season with a blistering start to the playoffs:

The shortstop went hitless in three at-bats in Game One. It was Game Two, however, that woke him up. He went 2-for-3, including his memorable monster grand slam to cap off a seven-run third inning for the Yankees. It was safe to say that those fans questioning his ability loved him again.

Even in the final game of the series he didn’t let up. He went 2-for-4 with two RBI, along with a spectacular diving catch in the ninth to save a run and halt a potential Minnesota rally.

Comparing some of their surface-level numbers side-by-side, the two are so close.

Well Yankees fans, the time has come for you to pick your ALDS MVP. Who are you going with?