Cubs Legendary Hall of Famer Weighs in on Torpedo Bats, MLB's Future

A former Chicago Cubs pitcher recently shared his thoughts and predictions regarding torpedo bats in MLB.

May 20, 2022; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Former Chicago Cubs pitcher Fergie Jenkins speaks at Wrigley Field after his statue was unveiled. The statue will stand with other Cubs players outside the stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Marton-Imagn Images | Matt Marton-Imagn Images

At age 82, former Chicago Cubs pitcher Fergie Jenkins stays up to date on all the latest MLB hot topics.

Having pitched for the Cubs, Texas Rangers, Philadelphia Phillies and the Boston Red Sox between 1965-83, Jenkins saw MLB develop over the years as he watched history run its course.

Now, with the torpedo bat saga taking place, Jenkins chimed in to share what he believes will come of the situation.

"Well, when you look back at the game when I played in the 60s', 70s', 80s', the pitcher was pretty much dominant, and now we are like second-class citizens," said Jenkins during his recent appearance on "The Ricky Cobb Show." Everything has been done for the hitter. Like, you say the clock, the bases are bigger, you have an oven glove which gives you an extra 3-7 inches sliding into the bag ahead of the throw."

Jenkins isn't far off — numerous adjustments have been made in favor of hitters in recent years.

"There's more of a hitting surface for the hitter, and I think it might increase the batting average a little bit, but you will get a better piece of wood on the ball and the ball will maybe travel a little further," he continued.

"Who knows? A couple of extra base hits, and now one hitter sees one of his teammates use it. Now, he wants to use it. I can believe before the All-Star break every ball club is going to have a half-dozen hitters using that torpedo bat."

According to Jenkins, he wouldn't be too surprised if numbers start to increase as more players hop on board.

"I think the batting average, you might see maybe an extra 20 points on each player's batting average. Instead of them hitting .255, .260, it might be .280,"

With years of experience on the field, he has experienced the inevitable changes that occur in the sporting world. However, the use of torpedo bats have become quite a controversial topic that has been turning head sever since the New York Yankees hit a series of home runs with those bats in hand.

While the Yankees took a lot of heat for the bats, it's no secret that other teams have jumped on the bandwagon.

The reshaped design has been around for a while, but its appearance didn't take center stage until this season started.

As with anything in life, times change and people adapt to those changes — using the bats may provide some uncertainty at first, but it all boils down to the players' personal choice.

The bat isn't likely to go away and if Jenkins is correct, averages could go up. Does this mean it's time for other players to pick up the bat?