Wednesday, April 09

ST. LOUIS -- Long before the talk of torpedo bats or MIT 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.

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. 

“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. “When guys pick up my bats, they [remark about the shape], but most of them all like it because of how balanced it is.” 

Torpedo-shaped bats -- wider on the barrel and slimmer near the end -- were the talk of baseball on Opening Weekend after several Yankees players used them to bash 15 home runs against the Brewers. The hype around the bats had many MLB players -- including Donovan -- calling up their bat providers to inquire about the “torpedo” design.   

As someone who has always taken a studious approach to his game, Donovan sought to make improvements to the quality of his contact by seeking changes to the bats that he used some four years earlier. Generally, Donovan said he tends to make contact higher on the bat than most hitters, so he sought out ways to shift the “sweet spot” of the barrel of his bats. 

Over the winter of 2020, Donovan traveled to Old Hickory’s headquarters in Goodlettsville, Tenn., to talk with technicians about what he was seeking. Donovan wanted to keep his bats the same length (33 1/2 inches) and the same weight (31 ounces), while shifting the sweet spot further away from the end of the bat. 

To meet those specifications, designers came up with a two-inch cup at the bottom of the bat that is hollowed out. That cupping allowed for Donovan’s bats to have more thickness higher up the handle to give him what he believes is a larger sweet spot. The tradeoff, he noted, is that he tends to break bats when he makes contact near the end of the bat. 

“I started experimenting with barrel sizes, and I went to the Old Hickory factory and we talked about things that I liked, and it just evolved from there,” recalled Donovan, whose bats comply with Rule 3.02 governing the maximum diameter of bat barrels (2.61 inches). “I asked if we could flare the knob out a little more and create a little more length on the sweet spot.” 

The COVID-19 pandemic wiped out the 2020 Minor League season, but Donovan started using the newly designed bats in 2021. By 2022, he clawed his way to the big leagues and became a valuable contributor on a squad that won the NL Central title. In addition to becoming the first rookie in the rich history of the Cardinals to win a Gold Glove, Donovan hit .281 with five homers and 45 RBIs. 

Donovan, 28, boosted his power production in 2023 (11 homers in 95 games prior to left elbow surgery) to set the stage for 2024, when he led Cardinals qualified batters in hits (163), doubles (34), batting average (.278), on-base percentage (.342) and OPS (.759). Much of that success, Donovan said, is the product of him constantly looking for edges and ways he can improve, such as building “The Barn” for offseason drills and pushing for a bat that best fits his swing.  

“When you think about him and [former Cardinal Paul Goldschmidt], they are always in tune with their games and where they need to improve,” manager Oliver Marmol raved. “Just because they had a good year, they’re never going to sit on it and are going to look for other opportunities. [Donovan] is a guy who is constantly going to look for things that might make him better, and he is very diligent about stuff like that.” 

When the Cardinals return to Busch Stadium on April 11 to face the Phillies, the club will launch “Friday Night Live,” a new fan engagement initiative for all Friday home games. The hope is the initiative will bring festive vibes and a party atmosphere to the ballpark. 

The theme nights will focus on live music and Happy Hour-priced food and beverage specials in the Budweiser Terrace. Also, Busch Stadium’s first in-house disc jockey, DJ Deks, is set to spin music throughout the night. Other features include $5 draft beers, $6 margaritas and $5 hot dogs in the Budweiser Terrace. 

On the field, the Cardinals players and coaches will debut their red Nike City Connect uniforms for the first time in 2025. They will wear those uniforms in all 12 Friday home games. “Friday Night Live” features matchups against the Cubs, Dodgers, Yankees, Padres, Phillies and others. Those tickets are available at cardinals.com/friday. 

Lance Lynn, who started his career in St. Louis from 2011-17 and went 7-4 with the Redbirds in 2024, announced his retirement from baseball on Tuesday on his wife’s podcast, “Dymin in the Rough,” on Instagram. 

President of baseball operations John Mozeliak, who played a major role in Lynn being selected by the Cardinals with the 39th overall pick of the 2008 MLB Draft, said the 6-foot-5 right-hander will be remembered for his gritty toughness. 

“When you think about his contributions at the Major League level, it was very impressive, and to be able to have the success that he had pitching off a fastball, that’s a skill not many people have,” Mozeliak said of Lynn, who was 79-51 with a 3.43 ERA in seven seasons with the Cards. “When you think of Lance Lynn, what comes to mind is that he’s a competitor, he’s gritty, he took the ball and wanted to pitch, and he never wanted to come out of games. The impact he made for the Cardinals was amazing. He started his career with us, and he finished it here, so it was an ideal bookend.” 

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