Inside The Cardinals

Yankees Helped Cardinals All-Star Without Even Knowing

It seems like New York may have inadvertently helped the Cardinals out
Patrick McAvoy|
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

The 2025 Major League Baseball season is still young but there have already been some pretty big storylines.

It only took one series this year for the New York Yankees to make headlines and start a craze. New York opened the season with a series against the Milwaukee Brewers and had a power surge. The Yankees crushed home runs left and right off of Milwaukee's pitching and it started a craze. Some members of the organization are using new "torpedo" bats. They look somewhat odd, but seem to work. They've been around, but the Yankees took them to another level this season.

The meat of the bat is moved more toward the barrel to give hitters a chance to make better contact. Or, at least, that's the simple idea behind it.

This craze inadvertently helped the St. Louis Cardinals on Sunday.

Cardinals All-Star slugger Willson Contreras has been ice-cold to kick off the 2025 Major League Baseball season. He switched to the "torpedo" bat this past weekend and shined, as shared by the St. Louis Post-Dispatch's Derrick Goold.

"Contreras took a 'torpedo bat,' the sensation sweeping through Major League Baseball this spring, for a spin this past weekend and what a test drive," Goold said. "Using the bat that shifts the thickest part of the barrel closer to the hands, Contreras hit his first homer of the season Sunday.

"In the Cardinals’ 7-0 victory against Philadelphia at Busch Stadium, he also doubled and blistered an out to center field that had teammate Jordan Walker marveling how 'even the lineout was incredible.' Contreras took his new bat out of the wrapper Friday, used it for the first time in a game Saturday and finished the weekend audition with four hits."

Hopefully, there's more where that came from for Contreras.

More MLB: Cardinals 3-Time All-Star Has Clear Message For St. Louis Fans

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Patrick McAvoy
PATRICK MCAVOY

Patrick McAvoy's experiences include local and national sports coverage at the New England Sports Network with a focus on baseball and basketball. Outside of journalism, Patrick also is pursuing an MBA at Brandeis University. After quickly rising as one of the most productive writers on the site, he expanded his reach to write for Baseball Essential, a national baseball site in Sports Illustrated Media Group. For all business/marketing inquiries regarding Inside The Cardinals, please reach out to Scott Neville: nevilles@merrimack.edu

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