Baseball in 2025: Torpedoes, needles and dotted lines
Lots of things already happened
We’re a week into the MLB season and things are going great in San Diego! But what about other news and notes?
How do 'torpedo bats' work? We asked baseball physicists to explain (NPR): “The logic behind the torpedo bats seems deceptively simple: Their bulbous shape comes from analyzing how hitters tend to make contact with the ball. ‘If they're making contact at the same place in the barrel all the time, what can we do about the bat to try and give them better performance at that specific location?’ says Dan Russell, an acoustics professor at Penn State University.”
I don’t think these bats are any kind of magic wand that grants home run powers to normal players (except Anthony Volpe, apparently). I know who’s really happy about all the attention the torpedo bats are getting: the Milwaukee Brewers pitching staff. Instead of having to answer questions about how they surrendered 15 home runs while getting outscored by the Yankees 36-14 in their Opening Weekend sweep, they got to blame it all on the other team’s bats.
First of all, they’re legal. As long as a bat is made of wood, under 42 inches in length and no thicker than 2.61 inches around, it’s okay to use. The Wikipedia page for “baseball bat” has dozens of entries for these “innovations”, which amount basically to a couple tinkerers in their garage shop carving up a bat, getting a few hits and proclaiming it the new miracle bat. It also has this important section about baseball bats as a weapon:
The most obvious method is cupping a bat, where the end is scooped out like an ice cream cone and can reduce the overall weight while keeping the length the same. There’s been various tweaks to the bat handle and knobs. The axe handle (obviously, looks like the handle of an axe) supposedly helps against hand injuries and increasing bat speed. New types of wood have come and gone, from hickory to ash to birch to maple. A few years ago, a rash of broken maple bats caused a stir as manufacturers moved weight out of the handle and into the barrel, leading to javelins getting launched at infielders when they snapped.
There’s more tech in this driver than the Apollo lander It was only a matter of time before MIT-researched customization came to baseball. It’s been going on in golf clubs for decades now, with movable weights and adjustable lofts in driver heads that you can fine tune to dial in your swing (allegedly… my swing has proven it can overpower any rocket scientist’s hard work and hit a devastating snap hook, as God intended).
So why not try it on a baseball bat? With the data and superspeed cameras in use now, players, analysts and bat makers can see where the most contact is made and move the sweet spot there. I just wonder how much it’ll catch on. In the meantime, Aaron Judge is doing just fine with the old-fashioned bats.
Braves' Jurickson Profar gets 80-game ban for PED violation (ESPN.com): “In a statement passed along by the MLB Players' Association, Profar called Monday "the most difficult day of my baseball career" and said he was ‘devastated’ by the news. Profar added that he was tested eight times for PEDs during a surprising breakthrough season offensively in 2024 and "never tested positive." The positive test, according to Profar, occurred ‘this offseason.’"
Jurickson Profar #7 of the Atlanta Braves at Petco Park on March 28, 2025 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Orlando Ramirez/Getty Images) What’s wild is that Jurickson Profar says he passed eight tests last season while setting career highs in home runs, RBI, slugging percentage and games played at the age of 31, his 12th MLB season. Tack on an All-Star selection, Silver Slugger and some MVP votes. That was all on a one-year, $1million contract ($2.5mil after hitting incentives) he signed after he got released in 2023… BY THE ROCKIES.
And then, allegedly, between October 2024 and March 2025 is when he got the urge to start going the PED route? He tested positive for chorionic gonadotropin, which apparently helps start up testosterone production after a steroid cycle and is more common in pregnant women.
But even though he will be punished (an 80-game suspension with no playoff eligibility… but he’s on the Braves so that won’t be an issue), shamed, and lose half a year’s salary, in the long term he clearly made the best business decision of his life. At 31 and bouncing around the league on one-year flyer deals, he was probably well aware the end was coming fast.
One of the few financial graphs trending upwards these days So why not go a little outside the law and see what happens? In Profar’s case, that’s a 3-year deal worth $42million with the Braves. The cost of his misdeeds works out to $6million, meaning the Braves still are on the hook for $36mil over the next three seasons.
Do you know what Profar’s career earnings going into this season were? $35,221,481. The next three years will still double his career earnings even with the suspension losses. Steroids got him a 3.6 WAR season, fan favorite status in San Diego and probably at least $25million more than he was in line to get over the remainder of his journeyman career. Seems like a no-brainer to me.
Padres extend Jackson Merrill for 9 years, $135M (ESPN.com): "An opportunity to sign with the San Diego Padres is enough for me. But I also feel like there comes a line where you know your worth, you know your value," Merrill said at a news conference before the Padres played Cleveland. "Listen, I know there are contracts out there that are beyond absurd, there's super amounts of money. But having a relationship with a real human being and a real team like I have here, you can't beat that."
Jackson Merrill #3 of the San Diego Padres (L) shakes hands with General Manager A. J. Preller after announcing a contract extension before the game against the Cleveland Guardians at Petco Park on April 02, 2025 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Orlando Ramirez/Getty Images) This news came the same day that Red Sox rookie Kristian Campbell signed an 8-year, $60million extension after a career totaling 4 games in the bigs. It’s not that uncommon for teams to push to sign young stars as soon as they can and grab a discount. Especially when young stars hitting free agency have commanded $300million contracts (Manny Machado, Bryce Harper, Juan Soto, soon-to-be Vladimir Guerrero Jr.). Recently Corbin Carroll and Julio Rodriguez signed well before their rookie deals were up. In Carroll’s case, he got $111million guaranteed before making his debut.
Kristian Campbell #28 of the Boston Red Sox dives for a double off the bat of Corey Seager #5 of the Texas Rangers during the first inning at Globe Life Field on March 29, 2025 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Ron Jenkins/Getty Images) And while the future looks bright for these guys now, a little financial security never hurt, even if you are likely sacrificing bigger dollars in the future as long as health and production keep up into your late 20’s/early 30’s. The Braves did this a lot with their current roster, signing stars like Ozzie Albies (7/$35mil), Ronald Acuna Jr. (8/$100mil) and Spencer Strider (6/$75mil) to much lower sums than they would command on the open market. In Acuna’s and Strider’s cases, at least they have some stability while having careers interrupted more than once by injury. Acuna Jr. has been alternating between fantasy megastar and IL stash for a few years now. So while he has the talent and youth of a $300mil or more player, he has the durability and knees now of someone much less valuable. But… he also has $100mil coming his way even if he never plays another game.
Then there’s also cautionary tales of this backfiring. Evan White signed for 6 years and $24million with the Mariners in 2019 before making his debut. He most likely would have made less than $5mil total over those years without that, given the trajectory of his career. The Phillies made the exact same move with a prospect named Scott Kingery (nicknamed Jetpax) in 2018. He had some success in 2018 and 2019, but has not been a regular Major Leaguer since 2020.
Evan White #12 of the Seattle Mariners walks to the dugout before the game against the Oakland Athletics during Lou Gehrig Day at T-Mobile Park on June 02, 2021 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images) I wonder more if there’s urgency on both sides right now. Teams have to be aware of the upcoming lost revenue from the regional cable network bubble, the souring economy and looming labor war after 2026. Players who might normally be willing to bet on themselves might see a murky future with potential lost games via strike or lockout and secure their income streams now while times are still good. And it’s not like $60million means Mr. Campbell will have to settle for store-brand toilet paper to live within his means…
Happy first weekend of April and potentially first Braves win of the season!!
