Beacon’s Lenny Torres Jr. promoted to Triple-A
Of the 5,000-plus players who play minor league baseball, about 10 percent reach the big leagues. Seven years after being selected as the 41st overall pick of the Major League Baseball draft, Lenny Torres Jr. of Beacon is one step away from reaching “the show” as a right-handed pitcher for the Louisville Bats, the Triple-A affiliate of the Cincinnati Reds.
Before he graduated from Beacon High School in 2018, Torres committed to play for St. John’s University. But he decided instead to turn pro. After being drafted, Torres signed a $1.35 million contract with the Cleveland Indians (now Guardians). He was still 17 years old.
“At that point, it was more of the signing bonus and to see if it was smart to not go to college,” Torres said this week. “We liked the number that we heard and the team; it was just a perfect feel overall.”
Torres reported to the Arizona Complex League with other rookies and appeared in six games. But at the beginning of spring training in 2019, Torres learned he had torn the ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow, a common injury for pitchers. He underwent “Tommy John surgery” soon after (named for the pitcher who received the first such operation in 1974) and missed the rest of the season.
The 2020 minor league season was canceled because of the pandemic, giving Torres another year to recover. He went through rehab with another 2018 draft pick, Richie Palacios, who was recovering from a torn labrum. “We were roommates [at spring training in Arizona] and helped each other out mentally and physically,” said Torres. (Palacios made his MLB debut with Cleveland in 2022.)
Torres was promoted in 2023 from Single-A to High-A, the level of the Hudson Valley Renegades. He was invited after the season to compete in the Puerto Rican Winter League for Leones de Ponce. The pitcher put up impressive numbers against fringe big leaguers and prospects, striking out 21 batters in 10 bullpen appearances while holding a 1.84 earned run average.
Torres continued that success in the 2024 season at the Double-A level with the Akron Rubber Ducks. He made 41 relief appearances and posted an average of 11 strikeouts per nine innings and a 2.26 ERA.
Baseball America, which compiles scouting reports on minor league players, says: “Torres doesn’t have a big frame at a listed 6-foot-1, but he has a quick arm and can run his fastball up to 97 mph. The pitch typically hits 94 mph, and he pairs it with a slider that has plus potential. He is working to implement a changeup which, at its best, has hard downer action.”
His rookie contract with Cleveland ended with the season. It wasn’t renewed, but the Reds showed interest and signed him to a new deal.
“It was weird because that was the first time saying goodbye to the Guardians after six years of development, friendships, connections and all the relationships,” said Torres, who is now 24. “That’s the business side of it. You can know somebody one day, then not see them tomorrow.”
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Cincinnati promoted Torres to Triple-A, assigning him to Louisville. He has been inconsistent this season, cooling down after a hot start. The pressure has risen, especially given that the next promotion would be to the big leagues and could happen any day. “It’s nerve-wracking,” Torres admitted. “Anything can happen — I could get called up, I could get released, I could get traded. But I mean, we’re right there.”
Although he and hundreds of other minor league players would love to take a “big breath of fresh air” in a major league stadium, he can only focus on the moment at hand. It’s still a pretty good gig: He’s paid to go to the ballpark every day.
“I’m happy to be here; I get to play the game I love every day and put on the costume every day,” he said, with a laugh.
