Forgotten Chicago Cubs prospect has a chance to win first World Series ring

One of the defining moves of the 2016 World Series season for the Chicago Cubs was the trade for All-Star closer Aroldis Chapman at the Major League Baseball Trade Deadline.

The headline prospect that the Cubs sent as part of their package to the Yankees for Chapman was shortstop Gleyber Torres. At the time, there didn't seem to be a clear path toward playing time for Torres at the Major League level with the Cubs. Addison Russell and Javier Baez were believed to be the middle infield duo for the Cubs for the next decade.

Fast forward to the 2024 season, Russell is out of Major League Baseball while Baez, now with the Detroit Tigers, has rapidly become one of the worst offensive players in the game.

Torres, meanwhile, has become a mainstay on the Yankees' roster.

Torres earned American League All-Star selections during the first two seasons of his career, 2018 and 2019, but he has failed to live up to the lofty expectations from when he was the next big prospect in the Cubs' farm system.

This past season with the Yankees, Torres slashed .257/.330/.378 through 665 plate appearances with a 101 OPS+. Despite those struggles during the regular season, Torres has been one of the Yankees' hottest hitters during the postseason. In 45 plate appearances during the postseason, Torres has slashed .297/.400/.432 with a 141 wRC+.

While Cubs fans are drawn to Anthony Rizzo, Marcus Stroman, and Mark Leiter Jr. being a part of the Yankees' World Series roster, Torres shouldn't be forgotten either.

Torres has been no stranger to postseason play with the Yankees but this is the first time that he is playing in the World Series. Another sign of the longevity that Theo Epstein's initial rebuild with the Cubs has had across Major League Baseball.