Inside The Cardinals

Torpedo Bat Labeled 'Silver Lining' To Cardinals Slugger's Hitting Slump

The St. Louis fan favorite is thriving with the torpedo bat
Nate Hagerty|
Apr 2, 2025; Bronx, New York, USA; A torpedo bat and gloves of New York Yankees outfielder Cody Bellinger (not pictured) are seen on a tarp before the game against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images
Apr 2, 2025; Bronx, New York, USA; A torpedo bat and gloves of New York Yankees outfielder Cody Bellinger (not pictured) are seen on a tarp before the game against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

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St. Louis Cardinals

The St. Louis Cardinals have one of the league's hottest offenses and they've been getting the job done without using the newly designed torpedo bat for most of the season.

The New York Yankees popularized the torpedo bat, which designates more wood to the sweet spot of the bat -- a model similar to Cardinals Gold Glove defender Brendan Donovan's stick.

However, a St. Louis fan favorite who has looked like a shell of his former self at the plate this year recently started using the Yankees' newest bat design and is quickly returning to the slugger Cardinals nation remembers and loves.

"Up until Sunday’s home run off Zack Wheeler, Contreras’ biggest highlight of the young season might have been him chewing on his batting tape," Bleacher Report's Johnny Flores Jr. wrote Tuesday. "The Cardinals’ first baseman has a .158/.213/.263 line and has been worth minus-0.6 bWAR to begin the season. Those aren’t good marks for a player St. Louis already moved off from catcher after signing him to a five-year, $87.5 million pact. Nor is it a good look for a player who declined to be moved in the offseason, believing he could 'leave the team better than what I found.' If there’s any silver lining, it might be that Contreras has adopted a torpedo bat."

Contreras recently revealed that the Yankees used the torpedo bat in the 2024 playoffs. He tested the bat himself but wasn't fond of how it felt.

Desperate times sometimes call for desperate measures, forcing Contreras to give the torpedo bat another try. In his last two games, the three-time All-Star belted his first home run of the season, logged three hits including a double, three RBIs and zero strikeouts -- all while using the Yankees' new stick.

Hopefully, Contreras continues to thrive while using the torpedo bat. Having his confidence and power back in the Cardinals' lineup will undoubtedly help St. Louis emerge as a surprise contender for winning the National League Central this year.

More MLB: Cardinals Add Astros' Framber Valdez To List Of Aces Victimized By Red-Hot Offense

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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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