蜜芽传媒

So that he always has one handy when the spirit moves him 鈥� or frustration drives him 鈥� to take some swings in search of his next best one, Willson Contreras keeps an armful of bats at the ballpark, at his home, even in the basement.

When he goes to the plate, he鈥檒l be carrying a new one.

Contreras took a 鈥渢orpedo bat,鈥� the sensation sweeping through Major League Baseball this spring, for a spin this past weekend and what a test drive. Using the bat that shifts the thickest part of the barrel closer to the hands, Contreras hit his first homer of the season Sunday. In the Cardinals鈥� 7-0 victory against Philadelphia at Busch Stadium, he also doubled and blistered an out to center field that had teammate Jordan Walker marveling how 鈥渆ven the lineout was incredible.鈥� Contreras took his new bat out of the wrapper Friday, used it for the first time in a game Saturday and finished the weekend audition with four hits.

鈥淚 think it is more mental than anything else,鈥� Contreras said. 鈥淧hysically, you can do all the stuff and you can practice and be great at practice, but mentally I think is the base of everything. I switched back to TUCCI bats. I had to try the 鈥榯orpedo鈥� because everybody is doing it.鈥�

The torpedo bat has been circulating for a few seasons. A few Cubs used them a year ago. Some Cardinals were introduced to them last year and again this spring, and Contreras was one of the Cardinals who looked at the bat this past spring training.

鈥淚 swung one and didn鈥檛 like it,鈥� he said, grinning. 鈥淣ow I like it.鈥�

The bat鈥檚 profile jumped from curiosity to hype monster in the season鈥檚 first weekend when the New York Yankees went berserk with home runs against Milwaukee. Several of the Yankees players were using torpedo bats for the first time.

Popularity in the bat surged, and bat companies have been cranking out models ever since. The bat鈥檚 barrel has a bowling pin-like shape that puts the heartiest part of the barrel lower for a wider area of contact and then tapers toward the end.

Contreras spoke to his brother, Brewers catcher William Contreras, after that weekend, and the younger Contreras had the best view of the homers and the trend the Yankees launched.

He told his brother the torpedo was about to takeoff.

At the same time, the elder Contreras felt landlocked by his swing. He did not get a hit in his first five games of the season, and he struck out nine times in his first 19 at-bats. When manager Oliver Marmol gave him a day off 鈥� no debate 鈥� on Friday, Contreras was batting .102 with five hits and 22 strikeouts in his first 54 plate appearances.

Before the start of the weekend series against the Phillies, Contreras grabbed one of the bats he had in his basement and continued mining for that feeling, that swing he was missing.

鈥淚 was down in the basement trying to find myself, thinking of the swing, thinking of my feelings,鈥� Contreras said. 鈥淎nd I think I found it for a little bit. I have to keep going.鈥�

Contreras said he returned to the TUCCI axe-handle bat he used in 2019 to help with that feeling. The torpedo bats he ordered from the Connecticut-based manufacturer a week ago arrived for him to swing them for the first time during batting practice Friday. He had not used them in a game until Saturday, and his final two at-bats, he stung singles.

鈥淚 went over and took a peek,鈥� Walker said of seeing Contreras鈥� new shipment of bats. 鈥淪uper-cool bat. And if he swings like that, he should keep swinging it. That鈥檚 for sure. Everything looks good. He looks stacked at the plate. Balanced. The bat is cool. But that鈥檚 all the work coming out, too.鈥�

Contreras鈥� double left his bat at 110 mph, the lineout at 103.9 mph and the home run 96.8 mph. Contreras had two of the five hardest-hit pitches in Sunday鈥檚 game. Three of his swings that put a ball in play were considered 鈥渇ast swings鈥� with bat speeds at 75 mph or greater.

Through the extended slump to start the season, Contreras sought direction from hitting coach Brant Brown and found comfort in what he worked on during winter. He described how he wanted to get better and not 鈥渙verthinking鈥� and not 鈥渂eing afraid of something. He wanted the emotional fire that defines his game to propel him not engulf him. Contreras and his manager felt setting an example for younger players and how to navigate their own slumps became a goal for the veteran and former All-Star.

Walker thought the bats were cool, sure.

But then he described all he saw Contreras do in the batting cage.

What he didn鈥檛 see was the work everywhere else Contreras kept a bat.

鈥淪ometimes,鈥� Contreras said, 鈥測ou have to take one step back and find yourself, and your own rhythm.鈥�

The one place he didn鈥檛 seem to be keeping bats Sunday was in his locker. The shelf where players stash new bats or an assortment of bats was empty, either moved out or moved over to an empty locker beside his in the clubhouse.

Contreras explained why he had bats everywhere but there.

鈥淚f you don鈥檛 work, you鈥檙e bye,鈥� Contreras said.

He鈥檒l likely have the torpedo on the shelf Monday.

Walker鈥檚 strides in right field

On Sunday morning, hours before the series finale against the Phillies, Walker and coach Jon Jay were back in the outfield as they are every day working through drills and discussing the mindset that has improved the young outfielders play by leaps and bounds.

鈥淭rust that first step,鈥� Walker said.

The Cardinals entered Sunday鈥檚 game in the top five so far this season for defensive runs saved, an advanced metric to measures how much a team robs runs better than the average club. The position leading the way wasn鈥檛 anywhere a Gold Glover or speedster plays. It was right field, home of Walker. The Cardinals, with a plus-8 DRS overall, had a plus-3 DRS in right field, and Walker, a net negative by DRS there in each of his previous two seasons, is a plus-2 through 104 1/3 innings.

He had a backhanded snag of a line drive in Saturday鈥檚 game, and he raced into foul territory for another catch in the same game. Jay said Walker is starting to be more assertive with his routes and even with his calls in the outfield.

Catches beget confidence. Confidence begets catches.

鈥淚 think the confidence he鈥檚 playing with, and I think it translates to his first step,鈥� Marmol said. 鈥淚t translates to how aggressive he goes into the gap. He looks more comfortable out there, and he should. One, he didn鈥檛 play right field a ton when we called on him to do it at the highest level. (Two), he鈥檚 worked really hard at it with JJ to put himself in the spot to be able to relax and just be instinctive. I think we鈥檙e seeing that now.鈥�