Kevin Smith

Yes, the Yankees have a literal genius MIT Physicist, Lenny (who is the man), on payroll. He invented the “Torpedo” barrel. It brings more wood - and mass - to where you most often make contact as a hitter. The idea is to increase the number of “barrels” and decrease misses.

The influence a great first basemen can have on the rest of the infield is the hardest thing to put a number on in all of infield defense. Joey breaks it down perfectly here.

This is insane. To think about how much better the stuff is now compared to 2007. And then think about more pitches being called strikes. And thinking about how more pitches that are harder to hit in harder to hit locations are being called strikes …

And layer in analytics and how they know exactly how to get you out.

And guys are still having incredible success, is, almost impossible to believe.

This is a huge difference when moving to 3B. You have to be so much better going back on balls compared to SS. Everything gets on you quicker. Most grounders have less bounces - so they get on your quicker and stay hotter longer.

3B grounders have way more spin on them than SS grounders. Top spin makes the hops play different, and most of the time you only get a couple at 3B to create your hop.

You need the ability to go back on balls to get the hop you need to get. There’s way more ways to get stuck in between hops at 3B. The best can drop step to create time, create angles, and create the hop they need.

It’s also huge for getting your eyes to the side of the ball - which is key to fielding balls clean and getting good reads when EV are as high as they are at his level.

He’s training the right things.