It's not a secret that the New York Yankees hold Venezuelan star Gleyber Torres to a high standard. They've committed to him as one of their cornerstones for the future, even though he hasn't always been spectacular.

Torres has shown flashes of greatness as a hitter and a base-runner but his defensive flaws have raised questions about his future in the Bronx, with multiple fans even asking for him to be traded as a high-value asset to bring a top-notch player in return.

That's why he knows that he's got to bring his A-Game in 2021 after a subpar shortened season last year, and why he recently vowed to be in the best shape of his career ahead of Opening Day.

Gleyber Torres Looks To Be In Great Shape In 2021

“It’s really important to me to be in really good shape. This year, we play 162 games. Personally, I just want to play all the games and be healthy all year. That is how I’ll help my team in any opportunity I have. So far, I feel really good," Torres said, as quoted by Bryan Hoch of MLB.com.

 

The 24-year-old infielder added that last year's conditions were tough for everybody around Major League Baseball and that he was pretty much playing catchup in terms of physical conditioning:

“Last year was a tough year for everybody,” Torres continued. “We didn’t start for three or four months. It was very hard for players, especially for me. Now, we know we’re playing a full season, we had a regular offseason, a regular Spring Training. We’ve played really well, and mentally, I feel really well.”

Torres also addressed his defensive flaws and claimed that he's working non-stop on improving his issues to be the best version of himself and lead the Yankees to the top of the league:

 

“I’m working really hard every day. I’m so happy to figure out a few things on my defense. Every practice, every day, I’ve been working with Mendy (Coach Carlos Mendoza) to fix all the little things I was working on during the offseason. I feel good, I feel happy. I feel more confident right now. Now, I’ll just try to play my best," he concluded.

It's been a while since the Bronx Bombers last made it to the World Series and Gleyber Torres could play a major part in their plans to put an end to their title drought, so hopefully, he'll be able to live up to his word this season.