Topes Tuesday Notebook: Are torpedo bats coming to hitter-friendly Isotopes Park?

As if pitchers didn’t already have enough to worry about at mile-high Isotopes Park, where the dry, thin air already creates a hitter’s haven.

Now the home of Albuquerque’s Triple A baseball team is about to be invaded by the latest craze in the sport, the torpedo bat.

“Yeah, I want to try them! I’ve already got an order in,” Isotopes outfielder Zac Veen, who was the Colorado Rockies’ Spring Training MVP and ranked as the organization’s No. 8 overall minor league prospect told the Journal during last week’s homestand.

“I’m excited to see if when I get jammed, if it becomes a home run,” he said.

The torpedo bat is a new style of bat that shifts the thickest part of the barrel about six inches toward the handle. The more bowling pin-looking bat allows hitters who tend to hit balls with that portion of the bat find more long-ball success.

After the New York Yankees hit 15 home runs in their opening series this season, including a nine home run-game with seven of nine hitters in the lineup using the bats, hitters everywhere, including those in the Isotopes clubhouse, put in their orders.

But is that a good thing?

The legality of the bat isn’t in question — it meets all specifications — and MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred on Sunday told the New York Times that the bats are “absolutely good for baseball.”

Others are taking much more of a wait-and-see approach.

Colorado Rockies Director of Player Development Chris Forbes said he’s fine with players — even those who went all through spring training with another bat — trying it out, as long as it’s for the right reasons.

“I don’t want guys using it based on social media posts, or getting reactive,” Forbes told the Journal. “If it fits in a swing and guys want to try it, sure. …

“You don’t want anything to be in desperation. You’re in an 0-for-8 slump and you just try to hit your way out of it by doing cage work (or using a new bat). Well, the important part is still where are you at mentally?”

Former La Cueva High and UNM Lobo star Jordan Pacheco, in his third season as the Isotopes hitting coach, said he’s all for the team’s sluggers giving the new technology a try, but noting the bat isn’t exactly a cheat code.

“I do think there is some science behind it, and the right guy needs to be swinging it. Some guys, it won’t benefit them at all. Some guys, it might benefit him a lot. It might change his career. … But I don’t think you ultimately know until they try it out.”

Pacheco, a top hitter in his day, said he looks forward to trying the bat himself before trying to mentor his young hitters.

“Everything I do in this (indoor batting) cage) I’ve tried or I mimicked. I need to know everything about it,” Pacheco said. “I’m not at that level anymore where I can go in a game and be like this is legit or this is not legit. But I can do my best to understand it in here and help the guys who use it.”

Know the foe

The Isotopes (4-5, tied for sixth place in the 10-team Pacific Coast League, Colorado Rockies affiliate) start a six-game road series against the Sugar Land Space Cowboys (3-6, 10th, Houston Astros affiliate) at Constellation Field, Tuesday through Sunday.

Sam’s still swingin’

Sam Hilliard, already the Albuquerque Isotopes all-time home run leader with 78 while playing parts of five seasons with the club, is one home run shy of tying the all-time Albuquerque Triple-A home run record.

That record is 79 homers hit by Mike Busch, who played parts of four seasons for the Albuquerque Dukes from 1993-96.

That’s jarring

The chile race standings through the first home stand, which will be updated weekly in this column, are off to a rather surprising start. Salsa, who isn’t even an every-game competitor, is hot — three wins in the first six games.

Standings through April 6:

• Salsa Jar, 3 wins
• Taco, 2 wins
• Green Chile, 1 win
• Red Chile, 0 wins

Next homestand

The Isotopes’ next home stand is April 15-20 against the El Paso Chihuahuas.