Inside The Cardinals

Cardinals $87.5 Million Star Reveals Yankees Used Torpedo Bats Before 2025 Season

The St. Louis slugger isn't fond of the Bronx Bombers' hitting strategy
Nate Hagerty|
Aug 14, 2023; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; A detailed view of a New York Yankees hat and glove on the bench against the Atlanta Braves in the third inning at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images
Aug 14, 2023; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; A detailed view of a New York Yankees hat and glove on the bench against the Atlanta Braves in the third inning at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

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St. Louis CardinalsNew York Yankees

A St. Louis Cardinals fan favorite is getting involved in the latest Major League Baseball controversy surrounding the New York Yankees' offensive strategy.

Following the Yankees' record-breaking start to the 2025 season, during which they've slashed 15 home runs across three games played, critics are attacking the 27-time World Series champions for utilizing a newly designed bat called the "torpedo bat." This design designates more wood to the sweet spot of the bat and less toward the bat's tip, creating a funky-like shape that some believe should be outlawed.

The Yankees' red-hot offensive start to the season has many calling for the torpedo bats to be banned. However, most don't realize that the Bronx Bombers used the controversial sticks during their incredible 2024 World Series bid.

"Willson Contreras shared this morning that one of the equipment reps who came through camp this spring was packing some of the fancy new torpedo bats that became a thing yesterday," Belleville News-Democrat's Jeff Jones reported Sunday. "The sales rep told him that a few Yankees used them in last year's playoffs. He tried them out, didn't like the feel."

According to $87.5 million Cardinals catcher Contreras's recent claim, the Yankees' newest offensive strategy has flown under the radar for quite some time, so the recent complaints from torpedo bat critics should be taken with a grain of salt.

Critics have attacked the Yankees and their use of the torpedo bat this season primarily because of the club's jaw-dropping stats through just three games -- they lead the league in home runs, RBIs, and OPS.

Not all Yankees players use the torpedo bat, so claims that the Bronx Bombers are cheating with their new offensive tool should be taken lightly. 2024 American League MVP Aaron Judge still uses a regular bat, so none of the four home runs he's belted this season deserve scrutiny.

Regardless of the Yankees using the torpedo bats in the 2024 playoffs, their commanding start to the season has given haters something new to complain about. It'll be interesting to see how the league addresses the Bronx Bombers' latest controversy.

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Nate Hagerty
NATE HAGERTY

Nate Hagerty joined “Inside The Cardinals” as a content creator to spread knowledge about his favorite childhood team. A hometown native of Boston, Hagerty chose at an early age of six years old to follow the St. Louis Cardinals. The miraculous season of 04’ for the Red Sox did not deter Hagerty from rooting against his hometown team, nor did it in 2013 against the Red Birds. For all business/marketing inquiries regarding Inside The Cardinals, please reach out to Scott Neville: nevilles@merrimack.edu 

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