AL DIVISION SERIES: TIGERS VS MARINERS

October 4, 2025

Gleyber Torres

T-Mobile Park

Detroit Tigers

Pregame 1 Press Conference

Q. Thanks for doing this, Gleyber. 140-some games you played, 14 postseason so far. I know you're used to this stretch, like you did it last year. How have you been able to kind of keep yourself healthy and energetic through this whole stretch?

GLEYBER TORRES: Yeah. I mean, as a player, you for sure want to put really good numbers during the season, the regular season, to help your team in any ways.

But I really believe, like, when the season is over and you get the opportunity to play in the postseason, that's an exciting moment for an MLB player.

And personal, I literally play during the season for play in the postseason. So just basically enjoy the moment.

I never, ever put many pressure on myself. It made me a little more comfortable and easy when I really believe in the guy behind myself can help me if I don't do the job. So everything, when I go to the home plate and straight to my job and enjoy.

And it's easy when my teammates got my back. I feel more comfortable.

Q. Gleyber, just what you guys were able to do in the last game of the Wild Card Series, particularly in the seventh inning when you scored runs, and Wenceel had a hit and Riley and Tork and a bunch of those guys. I guess how important is it going to be for you guys moving into this series when we saw the offense struggle for a while but it came alive in Game 3 of the Wild Card?

GLEYBER TORRES: Yeah. It was huge for us. And also, I missed that at-bat before Wenceel. I don't do my job in the moment. But I truly believe Wenceel can drive all the runs.

And when Wenceel do the single, everything feels better for us, when Tork do the job. And I feel like the last couple weeks from the season, we don't really have that game. And the exact moment we had in the Wild Card against Cleveland, and it was here. I mean, that game was really, really good for us.

I know what happened last year with a team. I was in another team. But I feel like it was kind of like revenge for us and for the entire Tiger organization, and we do the job. And now we're going to face another really good team.

Whatever we do in the Wild Card was amazing, but mentality-wise, we're going to be aggressive in this series and try to play a little bit better when we get an opportunity to score runs.

Q. I know Troy Melton hasn't been up the whole year, but what have you seen in him, like his composure and how he might handle this moment?

GLEYBER TORRES: I'm sorry?

Q. Melton, the pitcher.

GLEYBER TORRES: Yeah. A special arm. He's been from the bullpen with true believing that he's capable to pitching really well.

I don't think nobody have any issues with him. Hopefully he threw four or five solid innings and gives us the opportunity to have the game and hopefully score earlier.

But he's a huge guy. He has a really good opportunity to show what he's capable to do.

I'm not pitching tonight, but I'm really excited for him. So I'm going to be on the defense side, try to help in any opportunity. But, I mean, the entire team believes in him, and we know that he's going to do the job.

Q. I just saw the lineup came out. You're hitting leadoff. What does that mean to you?

GLEYBER TORRES: It means I have set the tone for the boys. I don't believe I do a really good job during the Wild Card, but that's the beauty of it. I've got another opportunity, another huge series, set the battle for the boys, try to do the job. Hopefully I can keep doing work for the team.

Q. Gleyber, when you look at the regular season, you know, now versus a few years back, postseason expanded, more teams get in, do you think that puts more of an emphasis on being in best shape possible when the season ends versus we need to try to win every game, things like that?

GLEYBER TORRES: Yeah. I mean, the best example was us. Through the first half, we was really well. We got really slumping on the second half. But, I mean, we win the last couple games when things matter. We get into the postseason.

I always believe it's not how you start. It's how you finish. And especially in the postseason, you can see Cincinnati. Nobody thought they were going to make the postseason, and they made the last day.

So for us, really, like, we went from the first play during the all season, and the last couple days we fell, and one game we win in Boston, and we got an opportunity again in the postseason.

So, I mean, the season is really longer. I mean, every game is really modest, but I think how you finish is -- I think it's a little more focused on getting a chance to play in the postseason.

Q. Gleyber, what's it been like for you being teammates with Javi Baez this year, and what has allowed him to step up in big moments recently?

GLEYBER TORRES: It means a lot. First, I feel really happy for him. A lot of conversations during the Spring Training, coming from a disappointing season for him, and whatever he do during the regular season was really special. Made the All-Star game in the outfield was huge for him and for us, and he does really good things for us during the year.

The second half for him was not the best half, but he showed what he is capable to do for the team, and especially in the Wild Card Series he set the baton for us.

He's a guy that played in the World Series before. He's winning. He's got the experience, and he's our leader. He's huge. He's a really important piece for us, and how he do, I think, is going to be really important for us.

Q. Continuing with Javi, have you seen him change his offensive game a little bit here in the postseason, where, you know, it seems like he's had more timely singles in situations, where in regular season he might be swinging for the fences a little bit more often?

GLEYBER TORRES: Yeah. I mean, he's really focused. Like, when we played in the last game, last series in Boston, he drive the ball in the opposite field more than normal. He got his singles. He got field opportunities to get RBIs, and do the other way. And clearly he go to the opposite field. That means he's really focused and he feels really good on the home plate because normally you can see how he got really a lot of power and he always tries to pull the ball.

But in those moments he tried to put himself on base, and that's really important for us. And as a player before we get at bat and we see those couple at bat, helps us to get the best approach.

And it really focuses -- he's been doing play in the postseason for a long time too, and I know he's really focused. I know him really well, and he's really excited. So like I say, how he plays is going to be really important for us, and we're going to try to lead him.

Q. Are there times where the tags he puts on guys, particularly the one on Ramirez the other day -- are there times where he even surprises you the ability to lay down --

GLEYBER TORRES: No. He's the model, you know? He's the magician for many years in the Big League.

It's really special how he plays in the infield. And personal, he's helped me really well during this year. I came from this team. We struggle defensively last year, and Cora and also Javi helped me in the Spring Training. We were really together, and during the season helped me too, especially in those type moments and everything, he's smarter, and he keep doing those type of plays really special, and I get excited.

Q. Gleyber, it's been about three months since these teams faced each other, so despite that, how do you view the scope of the challenge of the Mariners when you boil it down to a five-game series?

GLEYBER TORRES: Yeah. We know it's a really good team. They have really, really good players especially on the pitchers' side. They are really good.

We faced a couple times already. They beat us really well in Detroit. The play was good.

But yeah. I mean, we've got an opportunity. I think it's not about name. It's about how competitor -- any player can do the job. I think the little things is going to be really important for us.

So be aggressive, believe each other, be on the same page, try to do the job, and play the right baseball. I mean, this game we know the pitcher is better on the heater at some point. They are nasty. They execute a better pitching time on the regular season. And we know that, so we're going to try to do the little things and win the games. That's the most important.