Why red-hot Cal Raleigh is using torpedo bat from left side only

When the New York Yankees debuted the new torpedo bats during MLB’s opening weekend, the offensive onslaught they put on the Milwaukee Brewers made headlines across the league.

Now the rest of MLB’s teams have had a chance to order torpedo bats of their own, and few players seem to have benefitted from them as much as Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh.

Cal Raleigh reaches another milestone in highlight-filled night

Raleigh broke out his torpedo bat in last Friday’s series opener against the Texas Rangers. He clubbed a home run in each contest during the three-game set. Then, he blasted two more home runs against the Cincinnati Reds on Wednesday, and another on Thursday. The six home runs in less than a week moved him to second in the majors with eight on the season.

During the latest edition of The Cal Raleigh Show on Seattle Sports, the M’s switch-hitting catcher discussed his experience using the new style of bat with insider Shannon Drayer.

“I think my big take on the bat, it doesn’t feel any different in my hand,” Raleigh said. “It honestly feels pretty similar to the bat that I’ve been swinging (from the left side).”

Raleigh noted the obvious difference is the bigger barrel on the torpedo bats. The other difference for him is that the new bat is made out of birch. He previously used a maple bat.

The switch from maple to birch is a big part of the switch. As Raleigh explained, the bat being made of birch is why it’s able to be designed the way it is.

“There’s regulations on maple bats because of the way they break and the low density,” he said, “so it’s a safety thing for when you break them. You don’t want pitchers (to) get hit or a position player because they break so easy when they’re shaped a certain way and the barrel is too big. So they keep the maples a little smaller, whereas ash or birch, you get to make the barrel a lot bigger because the density and it’s not going to break like a maple would. It’s a lot safer.”

The switch-hitting Raleigh is only using the torpedo bat from the left side of the plate, which is where five of his home runs since Friday have come from. He said he uses different style bats from each side. From the left side, he uses a longer bat with balanced weight, which started after he picked up one of Dylan Moore’s bats in 2022. From the right side, Raleigh’s bat is slightly shorter and heavier with more weight at the end, which is different than the balanced weight distribution over the new torpedo bat. He prefers more weight at the end of his bat from the right side because his swing from that side is flatter.

Raleigh is hitting .333 with a 1.603 OPS and a double to go along with his five homers in 21 plate appearances from the left side since switching to the torpedo bat. So is it safe to say he’s sticking with it?

“If it’s working, it’s working,” he said. “So I’m going to keep using it.”

The Canadian Destroyer

The Mariners begin a three-game series in Toronto on Friday, and the Blue Jays are a team Raleigh has tormented throughout his career.

In 18 regular season games against Toronto, he’s hit .277 with an 1.032 OPS, nine home runs and 16 RBIs. The nine home runs are his most against a non-AL West opponent. He’s hit more (12) against only the Athletics, but those have come in 29 more games. Six of those home runs against the Blue Jays have come at the Rogers Centre in Toronto, which is tied for the most in his career at a road stadium. Additionally, Raleigh went 4 for 8 with a double, a home run and three RBIs in two games in Toronto during the M’s wild card series victory in 2022.

Drayer asked Raleigh about his success against the team north of the border.

“I think in general you remember those places that you have good memories from, and obviously (there are) good memories there with us going there in ’22 and winning a wild card series there. So I think that’s the first thing you remember,” Raleigh said. “… They have a good team. They really do. They’re always solid, they always compete well and they have tough arms. So it’s always fun playing there because it’s challenging, and they’re a really good staff. So I think that always brings out the best of me when we’re playing those really good teams.”

Hear the full conversation at this link or in the audio player near the top of this story. Listen to The Cal Raleigh Show on Thursdays at 5 p.m. during Seattle Sports’ Wyman and Bob, or find the podcast on the Seattle Sports app. 

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