In the new season of Major League Baseball, Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Trevor Megill suffered a significant loss during the opening weekend against the New York Yankees, sparking heated discussions about the use of torpedo bats. This innovation, which supposedly has the potential to change hitters’ fortunes, is not as revolutionary as imagined. In fact, at this stage, MLB hitters still have room for improvement in their performance. The current league-wide batting average sits at just .237, lower than the same period last year, highlighting the considerable challenges hitters face on the field.
As the spotlight increasingly turns to the rising popularity of the sweeper pitch, another key trend is shaping the season’s trajectory: pitchers are placing growing emphasis on Pitch Shaping. This technique aims to replace traditional curveballs with a diverse arsenal of power-driven breaking balls. Between 2016 and 2024, approximately 20,802 curveballs disappeared from Major League games, making way for new pitch styles like cutters, sweepers, and sliders, highlighting a significant shift in pitching strategies.
The design of the torpedo bat shifts the sweet spot slightly closer to the handle, resembling the high-tech adjustments seen in golf clubs. For certain batters, this might provide an advantage, particularly for those with shorter arms or players who tend to stay closer to home plate. However, when compared to the advancements in the custom bat market, its actual impact on overall hitting performance seems less significant.
In this season’s intense competition, players like Anthony Volpe and Cody Bellinger smashed a total of nine home runs in the game against the Brewers, sparking debates on ethics and skill that are far from black and white. Among these nine home runs, the majority came from players facing high-positioned, low-velocity fastballs, significantly boosting their slugging percentages. However, even with power bats in hand, hitters are still grappling with heightened challenges. The increase in pitch velocity and enhanced late movement have made hitting progressively more difficult.
As pitchers continue to craft new pitch designs in the lab, the classic fastball and curveball combo is gradually fading away. Paul Skenes, for instance, has thrown only four curveballs across his three starts this season, highlighting this clear shift in trend.
