PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. — Nearly a year back, the torpedo bat took the baseball scene by storm, sparking a whirlwind of excitement and some pretty wild responses along the way.
Unlike many fleeting trends, the torpedo bat didn’t really disappear; it just became less talked about.
JC Escala experimented with the bat early last season but didn’t see quick success and returned to using his regular bat.
This spring, however, he’s been revisiting the Aaron Judge model, thanks to insights from the Yankees’ analytics team. He customized the heavier model to suit his swing, which seems to be paying off.
In his latest game on Tuesday, Escala recorded three hits, one of which was a 438-foot homer off Rays starter Ryan Peppiot, contributing to a 3-2 victory at Charlotte Sports Park.
“I believe it was because of the torpedo bat,” he said, noting he also caught a runner attempting to steal second base. “My analytics guy, Zack [Fieroh], has really helped with my bat. I think the torpedo bat works for me, but maybe it’s just a coincidence.” He added, “I’ve decided I’m going to stick with this bat for the year.”
The initial results are promising, showing Escala hitting more consistently. His home run on Tuesday registered a speed of 168.4 mph off the bat, just shy of his first homer of 169.6 mph from February 27. Both figures are notably higher than his previous career best of 167.1 mph. By Tuesday, he had an average exit velocity this spring of 94.1 mph, surpassing the 90.8 mph he averaged in his initial major league season.
This situation only underscores that Aaron Boone and the Yankees likely view Escala primarily as a backup catcher behind Austin Wells.
“JC is a good player; I’ve told him that,” Boone mentioned. “He simply hasn’t had the opportunity yet. No doubt, he’s among the better catchers in the league. He can play.”
Escala, who gained attention last season as a former Uber driver for the team, ended up hitting .202 with two homers and a .629 OPS in limited appearances across 40 games and 98 at-bats.
Despite above-average framing metrics and a notable presence behind the plate, he found himself demoted to Triple-A in the latter half of the season as Ben Rice took on more catching responsibilities to keep his bat active in the lineup.
Now that Rice is the starting first baseman and the bench is full, it’s uncertain how much Escala will play this season. Still, he’s positioning himself to have a bigger impact with his bat, notably that torpedo bat.
“I found what feels comfortable, and that shows in my swing mechanics,” he said. “I really think it gives me a bit of an advantage.”
“It provides me the largest barrel I can use. So, a pitch I used to miss might now just be foul-tipped, giving me another shot at hitting it. If a pitch goes better next time, that’s what counts. It’s about those little advantages. If this continues to help, I’ll see it through.”
On the defensive end, Escala mentioned he’s focusing on improving his ability to throw runners out. Last season, he caught just one out of 20 attempted steals, and overall, the Yankees had a 20.3 percent success rate on stolen bases, ranking among the lowest.
This spring, his priority is to be ready whenever he’s needed.
“I know my role and I’m going to do my best in it,” Escala asserted. “Whatever the team needs, I’m prepared for it.”
