Yankees sign Mexican League MVP who last played with MLB org in 2018 with TX Rangers

Yankees sign former Rangers minor leaguer Nick Torres after he won Mexican League MVP

The reigning Mexican League MVP, first baseman/outfielder Nick Torres, has signed with the New York Yankees. He hasn't played for an MLB organization since 2018, when he appeared in 35 games with the Texas Rangers' Triple-A affiliate, the Round Rock Express.

With Triple-A Round Rock, Torres struggled immensely, slashing .195/.232/.212 with two doubles and 10 RBI over 125 plate appearances. He joined the Mexican League during the following offseason, a decision that has clearly paid off for the former Express player.

The new Yankees first baseman had his best professional season to date with Union Laguna of the independent Mexican League during the 2025 campaign, his fourth season with the team, hitting .347/.425/.730 with 27 home runs and 79 RBI over 86 games.

The San Diego Padres selected Torres, now 32, in the fourth round of the 2014 MLB Draft out of California Polytechnic State University. In parts of five minor league seasons, he hit .280/.323/.405 with 31 home runs, 222 RBI and 25 stolen bases over 1,854 plate appearances. He has yet to make his MLB debut, which he hopes to do next season with the Yankees.

Torres, who hits from the right side, will likely platoon with Ben Rice at first base for New York if he impresses in spring training.

With the Torres signing, the Yankees likely aren't bringing back future Hall-of-Fame first baseman Paul Goldschmidt, who hit .274/.328/.403 (104 OPS+) with 10 home runs and 45 RBI in 146 games with New York this past season.

It's unclear whether Torres is joining the Yankees on a major or minor league deal. Given the fact that he has yet to play in the big leagues, the latter is probably true. But if he has a strong spring training showing, he likely will get MLB starts at first base, especially when opposed by a lefty starting pitcher. Rice had a breakout 2025 season for the Yankees, hitting .255/.337/.499 (131 OPS+) through 138 games. However, he struggled to reach base against lefties, posting a .271 on-base percentage against southpaws, which could allow Torres to receive plenty of opportunities against lefties.