PHILADELPHIA -- Jared Smith got into his car on Monday morning and drove down the Schuylkill Expressway from King of Prussia to Citizens Bank Park. He had baseball’s latest weapons in his possession: Torpedo bats. Smith is the founder and CEO of Victus Sports, which is an official bat for Major League Baseball. Bryce Harper, Alec Bohm, Bryson Stott, Max Kepler, Brandon Marsh and Kody Clemens use Victus bats. When they saw the Yankees smash nine home runs against the Brewers on Saturday at Yankee Stadium, they reached out. They wanted to learn more about the bats that feature a bigger barrel closer to the hitter’s hands, and how quickly they can get them. Monday, Smith replied. “It’s been the most popular drop we’ve had since we started making bats 14 years ago,” Smith said on Wednesday. “We’ve done things like the pencil bat that went viral. We’ve had our moments over the years. Harper, when he won the Home Run Derby back in D.C. But nothing like this.” |
Victus literally made the Phillies their first run of Torpedo bats on Monday morning -- they were unfinished without the typical bells and whistles -- then hand-delivered them to the Phillies’ clubhouse about an hour before the game. Bohm took a few hacks in the cage with his Torpedo bat before Monday’s 6-1 victory over the Rockies. He liked how it felt and used it. “I didn’t hit a home run,” Bohm joked afterward. But he singled in the fourth inning, putting the ball in play at 99.7 mph. “Good to see Alec pull it really straight out of the box and game it and get a knock with it in his second AB,” Smith said. “Now we’re going back, we’re kind of finishing some, making some additional Torpedo designs for them. Just as far as really taking our time and finishing the bats and doing it the way they’re used to.” Victus and other bat manufacturers pull mass from the end of the bat and redistribute the sweet spot closer to the hands to make Torpedo bats. “Why wouldn’t you try it?” said Bohm, who used the bat again on Wednesday night. “I’m not really the scientist behind it. I don’t know who’s fit for it, who’s not or whatever. But you see a team hit 20 home runs and you’re going to try it. … It doesn’t feel any different to me. It feels like a normal bat. That’s why I wasn’t worried about using it. I’m not really thinking about what it looks like, when I’m seeing 99 [mph].” |
The Yankees hit 15 home runs over the weekend against Milwaukee. Nine were hit by Torpedo bats, which MLB said are legal. Rule 3.02 states that bats cannot be more than 2.61 inches in diameter and 42 inches in length. Stott got a couple to try on Monday. He said he isn’t sure how much he will use them, if at all. “If you’re more on the end of the bat, the Torpedo’s not great for you,” he said. “If you’re already in the middle, there’s no point. I don’t think I’m sold yet. I’m early sometimes and I’ll hit a ball off the end and those turn into hits. If I don’t have any wood there, it might be a miss.” A few other things were at play this weekend in New York. The Yankees are a good team. They play in a homer-friendly ballpark. The Brewers also threw the Yankees 125 fastballs at 90 mph or under in the three-game series. That’s 44 more than any other team over the weekend. “We’ll see how long it lasts,” Phillies hitting coach Kevin Long said. “The pitching probably wasn’t as good as it needed to be. The wind was blowing out. There’s a lot of stuff.” |
But some players are sold. They believe this is more than just a fad. There’s science behind it. And maybe there’s just a mental edge. Regardless, Torpedo bats have been the talk of baseball. Long said he first learned about them when his wife texted him a photo of one. “Oh my gosh,” Long joked. “My wife is ahead of me on this.” |
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MLB MORNING LINEUP PODCAST |
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Jimmy Rollins (46) and Kyle Schwarber (33) are first and second in Phillies history in leadoff homers to start a game. Who ranks third? A. Lenny Dykstra B. Doug Glanville C. César Hernández D. Juan Samuel |
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All eyes will be on Phillies right-hander Taijuan Walker in Thursday’s series finale against the Rockies. Walker lost his job in the rotation last season, posting a 7.10 ERA in 19 appearances. He entered Spring Training with two years and $36 million remaining on a four-year, $72 million deal but fighting for a job on the team. Walker not only earned a job, but he rejoined the rotation following Ranger Suárez’s back injury. Walker entered camp throwing the ball better than last year. His four-seam fastball averaged 92.4 mph, compared to 91.5 mph last season and 89.3 mph last spring. His splitter had more life. He pitched well in his first three Grapefruit League starts: He allowed 10 hits, four runs, one walk and struck out five in 9 1/3 innings (3.86 ERA). But he allowed 15 hits, 10 runs, five walks and struck out three in 7 2/3 innings (11.74 ERA) in his final two. Walker threw 25 percent sliders in his last start because he found a new grip he liked before the end of camp. He won’t pitch that way on Thursday. But what will the results be? Everybody will be watching. |
ON THIS DATE IN PHILLIES HISTORY |
Jim Thome hits the first home run in Citizens Bank Park history on April 3, 2004. Of course, it does not count because he homered in the exhibition On-Deck Series against Cleveland. Bobby Abreu hit the first official homer at CBP on April 12 against the Reds. |
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D. Juan Samuel He hit 14 for the Phillies from 1983-89. He is followed by Dykstra (12), Hernández (11) and Glanville (8). |
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