97.5 The Fanatic Phillies Notebook: Can MLB Pitchers Defend Against The Torpedo Bat?
Kyle Schwarber blasted a solo home run 444 feet to right-center field to help the Philadelphia Phillies sweep their first home series of the season. The real test comes during a weekend set when the defending World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers visit Citizens Bank Park.
The most extravagant East Coast franchise in MLB history has made waves in an unexpected way. Torpedo bats have hit the scene and stolen the attention of the baseball world, thanks to the New York Yankees.
Phillies vs. Washington Nationals
- Thursday 3/27 : Win 7-3
- Saturday 3/29: Win 11-6
- Sunday 3/30: Loss 5-1
Phillies vs. Colorado Rockies
- Monday 3/31: Win 6-1
- Wednesday 4/2: Win 5-1
- Thursday 4/3: Win 3-1
Torpedo Bats Steal MLB Focus
MLB Opening Day notoriously draws overreactions. When the Yankees hit 15 home runs in the first series of a season, baseball media can configure countless statistical paces to shock their audience.
However, nobody quite predicted a revolutionary bat design as a catalyst for Jazz Chisholm, Cody Bellinger, and more of the Bronx Bombers to storm out of the gates in 2025.
The torpedo bat resembles the shape of a bowling pin. Its designers distribute the bat’s weight heavily toward the barrel of the bat, increasing the likelihood of a hitter to generate power by connecting the barrel directly on the ball.
The focus of modern baseball analytics on barrel rate helps drive the interest in technological upgrades.
According to MLB.com, Phillies hitters Bryce Harper, Bryson Stott, Max Kepler, Brandon Marsh, and Kody Clemens have all contacted Victus Sports in King of Prussia about torpedo bats. Alec Bohm has already begun to use a torpedo in game at-bats.
Bryson Stott spoke with informative measure about the technology. He established a difference between any typical manufactured bat and a more complex engineering process that a company like Victus might use to tailor a bat to a particular hitter’s swing, tendencies, or desired effects.
The torpedo bat makes particular sense for hitters who get jammed more often, and certain other hitters might have no use for it. Notice that Yankees slugger Aaron Judge belted four of the opening weekend’s home runs without one.
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The rawness of the public information about the torpedo bat means surprises are in order. Stott pointed out that it’s not a brand new concept, but unfamiliar ideas tend to spread more contagiously in New York City.
However, more raw emotion is rising to the surface. Matt Strahm is among the MLB pitchers pushing back against the sudden hysteria.
“Let them use whatever bat they want. Let’s just allow pitchers to use whatever hitters have in the on deck circle. And not check us like we are criminals every time we walk on or off the field. I’m just a pitcher but I’m assuming better grip helps ya swing harder.” –Matt Strahm
Analytics have impacted the modern MLB era drastically. The advanced research and biomechanical work of MLB analytics departments assists pitchers more effectively than hitters with useful information about arm angles, spin rate, and release extension.
Current players and league experts point to the advancements in technology as a key reason for the increased dominance of pitching. Total runs scored and batting average have progressively decreased for more than a decade. The MLB average OPS also dipped below .700 in 2024 for the first time since 1989.
The Phillies in particular have modified Cristopher Sanchez’s pitches during his time in the organization to help his development into a feared MLB lefty.
When Major League Baseball drew up new rules to prevent the defensive shift and increase stolen bases, critics pointed to a potential easy way out for hitters to gain an advantage despite their lack of ability to adjust to the effectiveness of new pitching trends.
Have hitters found a way to counterpunch with the torpedo bat? If so, MLB officials will welcome technology’s assist to inflate offense after years of wondering how to alter scoring trends.
Strahm and other pitchers might not like the changes. However, if the torpedo bat impacts offense drastically, it’s the pitchers’ turn to protect themselves from a torpedo.
Phillies Carried By Starting Pitchers
Zack Wheeler has predictably put together two excellent outings to begin the first season of his three-year, $126 million contract in 2025. He fanned 10 hitters to win the second game of the Rockies series with the type of methodical pace that gives Phillies fans supreme confidence whenever the ace takes the hill.
“He didn’t have his good velocity. His velocity was down a little bit, but he really pitched. (He) got a lot of whiffs. He was great (with the) command of his fastball. It seems like the same thing every night.” -Rob Thomson
Jesus Luzardo has reached peak conditioning to elevate his velocity early in the season, and the national pundits couldn’t stop raving during spring training about Cristopher Sanchez as a sleeper candidate for National League Cy Young.
The two lefties each pitched shorter outings in their respective first starts with effective swing and miss pitches and still room for improvement.
Aaron Nola allowed two home runs that led the Phillies to their only loss of the season, but Rob Thomson still feels confident in a pitcher he called “Mr. Consistency” last season.
Who else helped out? Taijuan Walker…
The home crowd booed the embattled starting pitching during player introductions at the home opener. He responded with six shutout innings in the series finale.
Philadelphia fans exert their passion relentlessly. Walker hasn’t performed to the standard of his $18 million annual salary.
However, it takes guts to face adversity, and Philadelphia fans tend to have short memories when a player can correct his own performance to help the home team win.
The veteran righty spoke humbly about his strong outing. He worries more about the fans affecting his mother, who attended the win against the Rockies.
“Obviously, you don’t want to hear them (fans booing) constantly, but it’s part of the game. It’s tough to play here. When you’re pitching well, when you’re doing well, and you’re winning, it’s the best fans to have.” -Taijuan Walker
Phillies starting pitchers have an impressive 2.60 ERA in six games this season. Thomson has kept his staff to a minimal workload as they ramp up for a long season with hopes of a World Series run.
The most logical reason to expect the Phillies to reach another Red October is a loaded starting rotation that could improve during the season with contributions from Ranger Suarez and heralded prospect Andrew Painter.
Dodgers On Deck, Braves In The Hole
The Phillies solidly handled inferior opponents that are unlikely to contend for the playoffs in their first two series of the season.
The competition will ramp up when the Los Angeles Dodgers visit Citizens Bank Park for an early-season showcase series with a pair of nationally-televised games. The Phillies visit the Atlanta Braves at Truist Park for three to begin their second road trip of the season on Tuesday.
Both looming opponents entered the season with notable World Series odds. However, they’ve quickly headed in opposite directions. The Dodgers have stormed out of the gates at 8-0, including a sweep to drop the wounded Braves to 0-7.
The Braves stunningly lost Jurickson Profar to an 80-game PED suspension. The former top prospect was a late bloomer who posted career numbers at age 31 in 2024 entering free agency.
Alex Anthopoulos can’t feel confident about the three-year, $42 million contract he handed to Profar in January. Questions will inevitably linger about the legitimacy of his performance last season.
Atlanta’s prized offseason acquisition can return on June 29 for the finale of a three-game set against the Phillies, but he’s now ineligible to play in the 2025 MLB Playoffs.
The Braves also lost Reynaldo Lopez, who posted a sub-2.00 ERA in 25 starts last season. They’re unsure if he’ll pitch again in 2025.
Ronald Acuña Jr. and Spencer Strider suffered season-ending injuries in 2024, and the Braves sunk into an insurmountable hole in the NL East during the first half of the season. Could it happen again with the Phillies and the New York Mets as high-caliber competition?
Hall of Famer Jayson Stark isn’t simply shrugging off the early slump as some sort of blip on the radar that will work itself out.
“I’ve always thought their bullpen was a big worry. Just a lot of questions on that team just to begin with. We’ve talked about them enough that you know I admire the Braves. I admire what they’ve done. I admire the way they do it, but I think I’ve been probably the biggest skeptic on them all spring. One reason is: I feel like people seem like they want to ignore what happened last year. They had such a big offensive collapse, and we’ve almost seen nothing like it.” –Jayson Stark on The Best Show Ever
The Dodgers, meanwhile, look like a freight train leaving a wake of destruction. They swept the MLB Tokyo Series in mid March and returned to the United States to substantiate the hype of an overwhelming offseason.
Shohei Ohtani belted a walk-off home run to drop the Braves at Dodger Stadium on Wednesday. The Phillies will counter the most freakishly talented baseball player in history with Luzardo, Nola, and Sanchez this weekend.
Looking Ahead
- Friday 4/4 at 6:45pm: Jesus Luzardo (1-0, 3.60 ERA) vs. Yoshinobu Yamamoto (1-0, 2.70 ERA)
- Saturday 4/5 at 4:05pm: Aaron Nola (0-1, 8.44 ERA) vs. Roki Sasaki (0-0, 5.79 ERA)
- Sunday 4/6 at 1:35pm: Cristopher Sanchez (0-0, 1.69 ERA) vs. Tyler Glasnow (1-0, 0.00 ERA)
All stats as of the beginning of play on Friday, April 4.
