Brewers pitching catches strays while former All-Star explains torpedo bat craze

The Milwaukee Brewers were in the spotlight Opening Weekend when the New York Yankees activated Bronx Bombers mode and crushed 15 home runs over three games, that included nine in one contest.

At the forefront of this offensive outburst by the Yankees were the bats a few New York players were utilizing. These uniquely shaped bats, which have been coined torpedoes, have since taken the baseball world by storm, with countless players trying to get their hands on one.

These bats, which are custom made for players, feature more wood towards the label. This doesn't necessarily mean that the barrel of the bat has lengthened. Rather there is more barrel towards the handle, and a new thinner area, with less wood, at the end of the bat, which creates the unique appearance of the bat.

During a recent appearance on Foul Territory TV, former All-Star catcher AJ Pierzynski dismissed the torpedo bat craze as "much ado about nothing." While defending his stance, he took a subtle shot at the Brewers' pitching staff, which may actually be the primary reason why these bats are trending.

Milwaukee Brewers pitching catches strays while AJ Pierzynski explains torpedo bat craze

Pierzynski's torpedo talk consisted of him talking about the bat he used while playing, a C243, and how long of a barrel it has. He then demonstrated why moving the barrel closer to the handle would not have worked for him and tied that into why it may not be working for other players using torpedoes.

In the process of saying torpedo bats "has much ado with nothing," he pointed out that the Brewers pitching sucked that series and gave up a bunch of home runs. Regardless of his stance on the science behind torpedo bats, that criticism is fair.

During the Yankees series, Brewers pitchers threw a ton of fastballs and didn't adjust. Nestor Cortes gave up three homers on three pitches to begin the game in which all were hit off fastballs. All together, Cortes gave up five home runs, all off fastballs, while throwing heaters 81.3% of the time that outing.

A day after Cortes got blown up, Brewers starting pitcher Aaron Civale gave up three home runs in an outing where he threw fastballs 76.4% o the time. Similarily, all the dingers hit off Civale came off a fastball variation.

Ultimately, the Brewers entered the Yankees series without a solid game plan, and New York’s hitters took full advantage. That’s not to say Milwaukee’s pitchers are bad, but they went through a rough stretch, and in the process helped fuel the torpedo bat craze.

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