Brewers manager shuts down Yankees’ ‘torpedo bat’ controversy with NSFW response
The New York Yankees put on a home run derby this weekend against the Milwaukee Brewers, and their use of ‘torpedo bats’ garnered a ton of attention, causing some controversy, but Brewers manager Pat Murphy firmly shut that down.
“My old a** will tell you this for sure: It ain’t the want, it’s the magician,” Pat Murphy said, via Gary Phillips of the New York Daily News. “So if the bats help, I’m sure every guy in the league will be using them within a week. But I’m telling you, it’s the hitter, not the bat.”
Before Sunday’s 12-3 Yankees win, Brewers reliever Trevor Megill made it clear that he is not a fan of the torpedo bats, and said that MLB would let it slide because it is the Yankees. However, New York is not the only team to utilize these bats. Last year, Giancarlo Stanton and Jose Trevino used them, according to Phillips.
Now, Anthony Volpe and Jazz Chisholm Jr. were noticed as players to used them, while Austin Wells is as well. Teams like the Minnesota Twins have been seen using this type of bat as well, and Boston Red Sox manager Alex Cora has said that his team tried the bats in spring training.
It will be interesting to track how the Yankees and other players perform with this type of bat, and if any more information comes out on how helpful they are. The Yankees will be tested in their next two games, starting with Tuesday against the Arizona Diamondbacks with Corbin Burnes on the mound. It does not get much easier with Zac Gallen on the mound for Wednesday’s game.
Regardless, the first weekend of the season has been a wild success for the Yankees, and the hope is that the lineup continues to produce at a high level throughout the season.
Devin Williams gets 100% real about shaky Yankees debut vs. Brewers
The Yankees’ new closer made things interesting before eventually picking up the save against his former team.
Despite a spate of injuries this spring, the New York Yankees got off to a good start in the season opener against the Milwaukee Brewers Thursday. Second-year catcher Austin Wells belted a leadoff home run, putting New York on the board early and the team carried a 4-1 lead into the ninth inning.
It was the perfect opportunity for the Yankees to bring in their new closer, former Brewer Devin Williams. However, Williams was shaky in his Bronx debut. He gave up a run on two hits, with a walk and two strikeouts.
Although Williams ultimately earned the save, it was an inauspicious start to his Yankees career. After the game, he was asked how he overcame the rocky start in the ninth inning.
“You know, just staying focused on the next pitch, you can’t go back in time. So, the only option is to move forward,” Williams said, per SNY Yankees Videos on X.
Devin Williams closes out a nail-biter for Yankees on Opening Day
Williams gave up a leadoff single to Joey Ortiz, followed by an Isaac Collins double. He then loaded the bases by walking Jake Bauers. The Brewers pushed a run across with a Brice Turang sacrifice fly that made it 4-2 and the team was set up with runners at second and third with one out.
But then, with the tying run at second, Williams seemed to settle down. Facing Milwaukee’s two best hitters, the Yankees’ closer pitched himself out of a jam. Williams struck out Jackson Chourio and Christian Yelich swinging to slam the door on New York’s Opening Day win.The Yankees landed Williams in a trade with the Brewers this offseason. New York lost All-Star closer Clay Holmes to the New York Mets in free agency but Williams is a significant upgrade for the team.
The former Rookie of the Year had spent the first six seasons of his career in Milwaukee. He’s been selected to two All-Star Games and even received MVP votes after his dazzling 2023 campaign. That year he had a 1.53 ERA, 0.920 WHIP, an ERA+ of 282 and 87 strikeouts in 58.2 innings.
Williams was just as dominant in 2024 but a back injury sidelined him for three months, limiting him to just 21.2 innings. After completing the trade with Milwaukee, the Yankees avoided arbitration by signing Williams to a $8.6 million deal for the 2025 season.
