This is the torpedo bat’s world, and we’re just living in it. The innovative new bat design made waves over the weekend when the New York Yankees smashed nine home runs in a game against the Brewers, leading to players all over baseball making calls and trying to land a torpedo of their own.
Elly De La Cruz used the torpedo bat and had a MONSTER night
The torpedo is taking over.
James Dator has been covering a wide range of sports for SB Nation for over a decade, with a special focus on the NFL.
On Monday night Reds’ star Elly De La Cruz used the torpedo for the first time against the Rangers and absolutely went off.
De La Cruz finished the night 4-for-5, 2 HR, and 7 RBIs. In his three games prior when Elly wasn’t using the torpedo he batted .333, 0 HR and 1 RBI.
Right now sample sizes are still very small, but we’re beginning to see a serious trend. Reds’ manager Terry Francona was quick to say that De La Cruz’s performance was about more than the bat, but the star himself acknowledged that using the torpedo had an impact on his game.
“I just wanted to know if it feels good — and it definitely does.”
The torpedo is a new design that moves the center of mass further down the bat, increasing the size of the bat’s sweet spot and creating bigger hits as a result. MLB has already ruled that the bat is totally legal, and players around baseball are at least dabbling with the idea of adopting the new design for a test run.
We’re on the verge of seeing the most exciting innovation in baseball in decades. If these figures hold and players around the league continue to adopt the torpedo it could be the answer MLB has been looking for in creating more runs and excitement in games.
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