The Chicago Cubs are making noise this season with one of the best offenses in baseball. Sure, their early numbers are partly inflated by playing more games than most teams (except the LA Dodgers) but 4.17 runs per game is top 10.
After years of not having run support to go around the Cubs have added Kyle Tucker and seen good starts from Dansby Swanson and Miguel Amaya. But what if there’s more to their offense than meets the eye? Enter the “torpedo bats” that have been all the rage in MLB lately.
What Are Torpedo Bats and Why Are They Controversial?
For those who don’t know, torpedo bats are reshaped wooden bats that concentrate more of the wood in the barrel area where contact is made. This is supposed to help when hitters make solid contact and give more power and better results at the plate.
The debate around these bats blew up after the New York Yankees hit 15 home runs in their first three games against the Milwaukee Brewers, tying an MLB record for most homers in a short span. The Yankees’ success with torpedo bats has everyone talking about whether they’re an unfair advantage—despite being legal under the current rules.
But here’s the thing: the Cubs were testing these bats long before the Yankees made the headlines.
Cubs Players Ahead of the Curve
Chicago has always been on the cutting edge of technology under Jed Hoyer so it’s no surprise some Cubs players were early adopters of the torpedo bat.
- Dansby Swanson: The Cubs shortstop has started to come out of his slump, .227/.292/.409 with a homer and 2 RBI in his first 6 games. He’s been using the torpedo bat and that might be the reason for his production at the plate.
- Nico Hoerner: Another player trying out the bat, Hoerner’s swing metrics suggest he’s benefiting from the added barrel density but his stats are still a work in progress.
Even Cody Bellinger who played for the Cubs last year was trying it out in batting practice.
“We were all looking at this bat and we’re like, ‘What is this?’ It’s so weird,” Bellinger said, according to MLB.com’s Bryan Hoch. “I think there’s been more success with it and maybe more advancements [since last year].”
Bellinger didn’t use the bat in games with the Cubs but is now fully on board with it as a Yankee—a decision that’s working out for him.
Will Torpedo Bats Help the Cubs?
So far the results are speaking for themselves—at least for the Yankees. Their hot start has put torpedo bats in the spotlight but the Cubs’ early adoption raises questions about how much of their offense is due to the bat.
If Swanson and Hoerner keep getting results, it wouldn’t be surprising to see other Cubs follow suit. The team has struggled with run support for years and any edge—legal or not—could help hide their pitching issues.