Daily Report – 4/1/25
Yankees
Some organizations acquire players to improve their teams. Others simplify the process by inventing new bats.
And in one weekend, one man has become baseball’s biggest star: Aaron Leanhardt, the inventor of the “torpedo bat.”
The concept is simple: The bat features a concentrated barrel located closer to the handle. This benefits hitters who hit balls with the lower ends of their bats, allowing them to hit more home runs.
On Saturday, the Yankees “torpedoed” Milwaukee 20-9 thanks to a franchise record-setting nine home runs. Nestor Cortes made his Brewers debut at Yankee Stadium, and in just three pitches, the Yankees went yard thrice. Adding Freddie Freeman’s historic grand slam in Game 1 of the World Series, Nestor Cortes gave up four home runs on four straight pitches between 2024 and 2025. On Saturday, it was three straight pitches to Paul Goldschmidt, Cody Bellinger, and Aaron Judge. No team in MLB history has ever gone back-to-back-to-back against the first three pitches seen in a game.
Judge went yard twice more in the ballgame for his third career three-home run game, all without a torpedo bat. He is the fourth Yankees player to record three career three-homer games, joining Lou Gehrig, Joe DiMaggio, and Alex Rodriguez. Austin Wells, Anthony Volpe, Jazz Chisholm Jr., and Oswald Peraza joined in on the fun to polish off the nine-homer afternoon. The Yankees reached seven long balls in three innings, the most through any three innings in MLB history. Their nine total home runs tied the 1999 Reds for the second most in a game in MLB history behind Toronto’s 10 in 1987. Fun fact: Yankees manager Aaron Boone hit a leadoff home run for that Reds game in 1999.
An implosion. A hurricane. A torpedo!
The Yankees finished their opening series with 15 home runs and 36 runs scored, setting MLB and franchise records through the first three games of any season. Aaron Judge earned American League Player of the Week honors for his eight runs, two doubles, four home runs, 11 RBI, three walks, one intentional walk, a .545 batting average, a .643 on-base percentage, and a 1.818 slugging percentage. His four homers through his team’s first three games are the most through any Yankees team’s first three games of a season.
Aaron Leanhardt is a former physicist who graduated from MIT with a Ph.D and left a NASA-funded research project to pursue his baseball dreams. The Yankees hired him in 2018, and he ultimately advanced to the role of hitting coordinator in 2023. Leanhardt is no longer with the Yankees, perhaps because of the injuries Stanton suffered while using the torpedo bat last postseason – yes, it was around then. But because of a promotion opportunity in Miami, the reason for his Bronx departure remains unclear. Nonetheless, he is baseball’s biggest hero right now.
As Jazz Chisholm Jr. aptly stated, “We fire torpedoes all around the park, you feel me?”
Torpedo bats aren’t exclusive to the Yankees, though. The Red Sox used them this Spring Training. Ryan Jeffers used one on Sunday. Elly De La Cruz hit two home runs with one last night. Anthony Volpe’s torpedo bat was produced by Victus Sports, and they received calls from nearly 100 MLB players between Saturday and Monday.
Eventually, the league will adjust to account for these new bats, so teams won’t be scoring in double-digits with them forever. So, let’s enjoy the revolutionary torpedo bat while we can.
After all, it was created by the Evil Empire.
Tonight at 7:05 PM (6:05 PM CDT), the Yankees will play their first evening game of the season as they kick off a three-game series against the Arizona Diamondbacks (YES, Gotham Sports). Star RHP Corbin Burnes (0-0, -.-- ERA) will make his Diamondbacks debut in the Bronx against RHP Will Warren (0-0, -.-- ERA). The Yankees’ defense will need to step up amid this pitching mismatch.
Here is tonight’s starting lineup for the New York Yankees:
1B Paul Goldschmidt (R)
CF Cody Bellinger (L)
RF Aaron Judge (C) (R)
2B Jazz Chisholm Jr. (L)
SS Anthony Volpe (R)
C Austin Wells (L)
LF Jasson Domínguez (S)
DH Ben Rice (L)
3B Oswaldo Cabrera (S)
P: RHP Will Warren (0-0, -.-- ERA)
Rangers
This cataclysmic New York Rangers season just advanced to its next chapter!
Gabe Perreault. 19 years old. A Boston College star. A key component of the Rangers’ future.
And he’s about to star on Broadway!
After Boston College got eliminated in the NCAA Division I ice hockey tournament, Gabe Perreault decided it was time to enter the NHL. Many scouts have described Perreault as NHL-ready. The power forward recorded 48 points (16 goals, 32 assists) in 37 games for Boston College this year, and his assists ranked fourth-best in the NCAA. He was also nominated for the Hobey Baker Memorial Award and achieved Hockey East First-Team All-Star honors. His 108 points over the last two seasons are the third most in the NCAA. Perreault is also a two-time World Juniors gold medalist. The Rangers drafted him 23rd overall in 2023.
“I just thought it was time to take the next step,” said Perreault when asked why he decided to enter the NHL this season. “I thought my brain was definitely ready.” Chris Drury has been raving about Perreault and his college teammate Drew Fortescue for years.
Whether or not the Rangers make the playoffs, big changes are coming. Peter Laviolette could get fired at the end of the season. Chris Kreider could get traded (although he must mentor Perreault first). Vincent Trocheck could be named captain. And physicality could and should be the focus for the Rangers down the road. Size and strength were missing last season, so despite winning the President’s Trophy, the Rangers fell short of the Canyon of Heroes. This season, they might fall short of the playoffs.
The Rangers’ future includes Vincent Trocheck and Gabe Perreault, as well as JT Miller, Will Cuylle, Brennan Othmann, Matt Rempe, Drew Fortescue, and Adam Edstrom. With a hint of Callum Tung.
Tung was the icing on the cake yesterday. The Rangers signed the 21-year-old goaltender to an entry-level contract, and he has joined Dylan Garand in Hartford. He was the talk of the entire 2024-25 UConn Huskies season because he backstopped them to their first-ever NCAA Tournament, posting a .933 save percentage in 15 games.
The future is bright for the Blueshirts, but they must continue to focus on the present. Plenty of questions about the 2025 Rangers are yet to be answered. Will Gabe Perreault contribute on the ice and motivate his veteran teammates to improve their game, defend on both ends of the ice, and ultimately secure a playoff spot? Or will the notorious culture problems at 4 Penn Plaza hinder his development?
I’m concerned the latter will occur.
But the Rangers are opportunistic because they get to prove me wrong. After a tough loss in Anaheim on Friday, they dominated in San Jose, and remarkably, they remain in the playoff race. It’s a battle against Columbus, Montreal, Detroit, and Long Island for the second Wild Card spot.
The Rangers will play Minnesota tomorrow night and New Jersey on Saturday. They will stay on the East Coast afterward with home games against Tampa Bay and Philadelphia and road games on Long Island, in Raleigh, and in Sunrise. The season finale will take place at home against Tampa Bay on April 17.
It better not be the grand finale.
Knicks
On Sunday, Walt “Clyde” Frazier turned 80, and the entire Madison Square Garden crowd sang him a happy birthday. The former Knicks star and NBA champion has been the cornerstone of Knicks broadcasts on MSG Networks for decades.
The Knicks gave Clyde a birthday present by beating Portland 110-93. They also beat Milwaukee 116-107 on the road on Friday.
As I hoped it would, Jalen Brunson’s injury has become a blessing in disguise for the Knicks. Initially following his injury, it felt like the Knicks’ season was collapsing. Now that Brunson has resumed basketball activities – “whatever that means,” as he so eloquently put it – I can comfortably analyze the current state of the New York Knicks.
The Knicks have been victorious in seven of the 12 games Brunson has missed so far. “We’re all just doing everything we can to keep the team winning,” said OG Anunoby, who scored 31 points on Friday and 28 on Sunday. “That’s really the only thing that matters.” The playoffs are eight games away, and in that span, the Knicks will play Boston once and Cleveland twice.
Before his injury, Jalen Brunson led the team with 26.3 points per game. Karl-Anthony Towns ranked second with 24.2. Next was Mikal Bridges (17.3), OG Anunoby (16.4), and Josh Hart (14.5). That’s a major reduction in production across the starting five.
Since Brunson’s injury, Karl-Anthony Towns has averaged 24.4 points per game, OG Anunoby has averaged 22.8, and Mikal Bridges 22.2. Towns has also averaged 10.2 rebounds per game and Josh Hart has averaged 9.9. This means the Knicks’ offense has balanced itself out, and as good as Brunson is, unicorn teams can’t win championships. Not in this NBA.
So maybe – just maybe – the Knicks are better positioned for a deep playoff run now than they were 12 games ago. The final eight games of the season will tell the rest of the story.
Tonight at 7:30 PM (6:30 PM CDT), the Knicks will host the Philadelphia 76ers (MSG). The Knicks look to win three straight games and sweep Philadelphia in the season series.
Schedule
7:05 PM (6:05 PM CDT): NYY vs. AZ; YES, Gotham Sports; SP: RHP Will Warren (0-0, -.-- ERA)
7:30 PM (6:30 PM CDT): NYK vs. PHI; MSG
That concludes this report. Enjoy the rest of your day.
