Opening Weekend Reactions: Yankees’ Torpedo Bat Power Surge, Roki Struggles, & Devers Slumps | 75

Tablesetters: A Baseball Podcast

Welcome to Tablesetters! Episode 75 kicks off with a full breakdown of Opening Weekend across Major League Baseball—and we’ve got a ton to cover. Devin and Steve dive into the biggest stories making headlines just three games into the 2025 season.

The Yankees stormed out of the gate with a 3-0 sweep of the Brewers, launching 15 home runs and tying an MLB record in the process. Behind their record-setting start? The debut of the much-hyped “Torpedo Bat,” designed by an MIT-trained physicist to increase barrel contact and reduce weak hits. Anthony Volpe, Cody Bellinger, and Jazz Chisholm Jr. are all in on the new tech—but Giancarlo Stanton is already on the IL, and speculation is swirling about whether his elbow issues could be linked to this unique bat design.

Meanwhile, Shohei Ohtani threw a bullpen session for the first time in over a month, but Dodgers manager Dave Roberts says there’s still no clear timeline for his return to pitching. With L.A.’s stacked rotation, the club has the luxury of taking it slow—but how long will that last?

Roki Sasaki, one of the most hyped international signings in years, is also drawing attention—but for the wrong reasons. Through his first two MLB starts, he’s walked nine batters in under five innings, with fewer than 50% of his pitches going for strikes. We break down what’s going wrong and why it may just be part of the growing pains.

The Mets’ offense was one of the biggest disappointments of Opening Weekend—just five total runs and 12 hits in a sweep by the Astros. Francisco Lindor is still hitless, and the lineup looks completely out of rhythm despite the addition of Juan Soto.

And in Boston, Rafael Devers made unwanted history by becoming the first player in MLB history to strike out 10 times in his team’s first three games. He’s now 0-for-16 with 12 Ks through four games as the full-time DH—and Red Sox fans are already holding their breath.

We also look at the biggest surprises across the league: the Cardinals and Padres sweeping the Twins and Braves, respectively, and which winless team—Atlanta, Minnesota, Detroit, or Milwaukee—should be most concerned. Plus, injury updates on Max Scherzer, Josh Lowe, and Gleyber Torres, and what we’ll be keeping an eye on heading into Week 2.

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