Torpedo bat craze? Ohtani, who silenced his bat in one shot, may pressure NL MVP rival to use it
Apr 04, 2025
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Local media reporter Fanside Jack Pressnell said on the 2nd (Korea time) 'NL MVP rival may pressure Shohei Ohtani to board the torpedo bat trendThe title is that Cincinnati Reds Eli Delacruz hit hard with the bat against the Texas Rangers on the 1st, claiming that the torpedo bat could be the key to keeping Ohtani in the league's top hitter position at a time when Delacruz has been swinging hard lately.
Delacruz swung four hits and seven RBIs in five at-bats, including two home runs, with a torpedo bat against Texas on the 1st. The player who introduced him to the torpedo bat was Jose Trevino, who became a new teammate this year. He brought the torpedo bat he used in the New York Yankees last year, and he reportedly recommended it to Delacruz.
Before the game against Texas on the day, he practiced with the torpedo bat during batting practice, and he took it to the real game to see if he liked it. The batting speed of his hit was 103.2 miles in the first inning, 107.2 miles in the second inning in the middle wall, 99 miles in the fourth inning in the center field fly, 102 miles in the left double in the sixth inning, and 110.2 miles in the seventh inning in the middle wall.
It is not known whether it was thanks to the torpedo bat or whether he was in particular good batting condition that day, but Delacruz will likely continue to use the bat.
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The torpedo bat players confirmed by local media until the 2nd are Adley Ruchman (Baltimore), Dansby Swanson, Nico Horner (Cubs), Ryan Jeffers (Minnesota), Francisco Lindor (Metz), and Paul Goldschmidt. Jazz Chisom Jr., Cody Bellinger, Anthony Wolfie, Austin Wells (hereinafter Yankees), Junior Caminero (Tampa Bay), David Schneider (Schneider) and Delacruz.
Among them, five Yankees players hit home runs in all three consecutive games against Milwaukee. In fact, the sign jersey does not use a torpedo bat.
Los Angeles Dodgers Max Muncy joined the team. Muncy took the torpedo bat he ordered a few days ago before the Atlanta Braves match at Dodger Stadium on the 3rd. In his first three at-bats, he failed to make a significant hit. He grounded out to second base in his first at-bat in the second inning, a fly ball to right field in the fourth inning, and struck out swinging in the sixth inning, respectively.
In the end, Muncy took the existing bat with two outs and runners on the second and third bases in the bottom of the eighth inning, trailing 3-5, and hit a two-run double to tie the score at 5-5. However, it is unclear whether the torpedo bat will continue to be used like Delacruz.
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According to MLB.com , "'A torpedo bat is defined as a non-traditional barrel located closer to the batter's hand.'" The bat is designed to be heavier by adding more wood to the part where the batter is more likely to hit the ball. Each batter is promoting a different bat, and he explained that he is used to maximizing the potential impact on any swing.
When abnormal home run figures came out, MLB collected Yankees batters' bats on the 31st and started inspecting them. In response to the result, MLB stated that "the bat used by some Yankees players does not violate Major League Baseball regulations and the rules regarding bat manufacturers. MLB Rule 3.02 announced that the bat should not exceed 2.61 inches (6.63 cm) in diameter and 42 inches (106.68 cm) in length.
In other words, the torpedo bat does not violate MLB rules. The bat was reportedly devised by Aaron Linhart, a former Yankees power analyst who moved to the Miami Marlins feed coordinator last winter.
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However, Ohtani has never commented on this bat. Instead, he made his position clear in practice. When Muncy hit a tiebreaking double in the eighth inning against Atlanta, Ohtani hit a walk-off home run in the bottom of the ninth inning to lead the team to a 6-5 victory. Atlanta closer Raisel Iglesias hit a bland changeup over the middle fence.
Baltimore Orioles batting coach Cody Ash's explanation of the torpedo bat is noteworthy. He added "If it's the bat part that hits the ball, let's put more weight on the sweet spot. It's not just for the Yankees. I think a lot of teams do that with the bat. However, Yankees hitters may have done so with the bat more proportionally"But go around the 30-team clubhouse If you look at it, you can definitely see one or two batters who have a bat made to fit their swing." It means the torpedo bat is not that special.
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This article was translated by Naver AI translator.
