Cardinals Gold Glover Discovered Similar Torpedo Bat Design Long Before Yankees

A St. Louis Cardinals fan favorite has used a design similar to the New York Yankees' controversial torpedo bat long before the newest invention was discovered.

The Yankees have taken baseball by storm this season as they utilize a new bat design -- called the torpedo bat -- which delegates more wood to the sweet spot of the bat in hopes of creating more pop for home run-aspiring sluggers, such as former Cardinals seven-time All-Star Paul Goldschmidt.

Many are calling for the Yankees' newest offensive tool to be banned but what some might not realize is that a St. Louis Gold Glove defender has used a similar bat design for several seasons without anyone batting an eye.

"Long before the talk of torpedo bats or Massachusetts Institute of Technology physicists changing hitting with formulaic studies longer than CVS receipts, Cardinals standout Brendan Donovan did his own research and crafted a somewhat different-shaped bat that he thought would give him the best opportunity for success at the plate," MLB.com's John Denton reported Wednesday morning. "Little did he know it back in 2020 and ‘21, but Donovan was way ahead of the curve in terms of futuristic bat designs and where MLB hitting was heading in the years to come. While not technically a 'torpedo' design, Donovan and architects at Old Hickory Bat Company made alterations to his bat so that the largest and densest part of his barrel is in the area where he contacts the ball most often."

Donovan has batted .280 with 101 extra-base hits including 31 home runs, 155 RBIs and a .770 OPS throughout his four-year career with the Cardinals. Perhaps the St. Louis homegrown star's unique bat would've gained more attention if he had been more prolific at the plate.

"'I switched full-go to this model back in 2021, and I’ve used it ever since,' said Donovan, who homered on Monday night at Busch Stadium while gripping a light-colored Old Hickory modeled bat that features an extended barrel and deeper-than-normal cupping at the end," as transcribed by Denton. “'When guys pick up my bats, they [remark about the shape], but most of them all like it because of how balanced it is.'”

The 28-year-old is off to a solid start this season -- batting .250 with five hits including one home run, three RBIs and a .704 OPS in 20 at-bats for the Cardinals.

Considering that the Yankees lead the league in home runs and OPS, it's not surprising to see critics attack the 27-time World Series champions for their newest bat design.

The torpedo bat may be banned at some point but considering nobody cares about Donovan altering his stick, perhaps the complaints about the Yankees' newest weapon are rooted in envy rather than justice for the game's fairness.

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