Mike Rizzo talks Keibert Ruiz's hot start, Dylan Crews' struggles, and torpedo bats with Junkies

Torpedo bats are the hot topic in the first week of the 2025 MLB season, and Washington Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo called it a "revolutionary idea" that the club is looking into during his weekly appearance on Wednesday with 106.7 The Fan's The Sports Junkies, which is presented exclusively by our partners at MainStreet Bank — Cheer Local. Bank Local. Put Our Team in Your Office. Member FDIC. Equal Housing Lender.

"We'll see if there's a big assist on it. Really, all it's doing is shifting more barrel space to a place [where] you often hit the ball. Not everybody hits the ball on the sweet spot," Rizzo told The Junkies. "It is something that we're looking into, we're definitely going to order a few and see if it does have an impact on how guys propel the baseball and barrel up baseballs."

In evaluating the new technology for the bat, is it possible the increased production is a result of an advancement in equipment or a boost in confidence that comes from a different-shaped barrel?

"There's some science behind it to kinda influence you, if you will, into using it and trying it," Rizzo said. "And then if you get a couple of hits with it, obviously, it's the secret sauce that makes it go. I always tell my coaches that if a player thinks it's helping him, then it is helping him if he thinks it.

"Hitting is a lot about – obviously mechanics and the skill involved with it, but – a lot of it is mental."

Rizzo found it interesting that the torpedo bats have "gotten so much momentum" because players are creatures of habit with their bats in keeping the same model and style of bat throughout their careers. One player on the Nationals who will not be looking into any changes is catcher Keibert Ruiz, who has started the season hitting successfully in all five games and is batting .412 (7-for-17) with two home runs and five RBI.

Rizzo said that the club is hoping Ruiz can find some consistency as he has had one good half to a season and one bad half in each of the last two years.

"He just has to put those two good halves in the same season," the GM told the Junks. "That's what we're hoping to do more consistency with him and get him off his feet a little more than we had, keep him fresher as we get down to the dog days of July and August.

"We're just hoping. We've seen glimpses of him for half a season of being a really good hitter and some halves of being a really good catcher. So we're trying to put those two halves together into one season and make him the guy that we' think he can be: an every day guy for us that can really help the ballclub."

On the defensive side of things, Rizzo said Ruiz has worked "extremely hard" with coach Henry Blanco to improve his framing and blocking skills behind the plate and improve his game calling so he can be a leader with the pitching staff.

"He's still young enough where his days are bright ahead of him," he said. "And he's really come into spring training and the season in great shape and in a great mindset."

On Dylan Crews' struggles

The No. 2 overall pick in the 2023 draft has not gotten off to the start Washington hoped as he is 0-for-15 with a walk through four games. Rizzo said to Crews, "Welcome to the big leagues, my friend."

"There's no higher league, this isn't LSU, this isn't Triple-A. This is the big leagues," the GM said. "These guys that we faced, that Phillies staff is no joke, they got two of the best three pitchers in the league he faced. And he came to Toronto and faced a really good starting pitcher when he played yesterday [José Berríos]."

Rizzo called playing at this level is dealing with "a league of adjustments."

"The skill level is there, the mental side of it is there, the physical side of it's there, and now it's the time to figure it out,' the GM told the Junks. "He's not the first player to go through struggles his first full season in the big leagues, and he won't be the last. He's a great enough player that he's gonna come through this and have a great season for us, so we're confident in that."

Crews will be in the lineup every day, and he will get his opportunities, Rizzo said.

On the first time through the starting rotation

"Can't ask for better than what they did; they were terrific," Rizzo said of MacKenzie Gore, Jake Irvin, and Mitchell Parker against Philadelphia in the opening series. He added that they liked the way the ball came out of Michael Soroka's hands and Trevor Williams suffered "death by a million little cuts" in his first start on Tuesday, but "pitched extremely well."

"The rotation has been terrific; we thought they were gonna be a part of a strength of our team, and they have been," he said. "Couple that with we played outstanding defense, both infield defense and outfield defense. I think that was a big emphasis of what we tried to do in the offseason and during spring training: fundamentally play good defense. And the early results have been good."

Prospect Cade Cavalli 'healthy'

Rizzo said the right-hander has an "innings cap" on him this year and are going to "slow play him," with the goal for him to finish the season with the big league club.

"He's healthy, he's pitching well, he's throwing simulated games in the minor leagues, he's gonna be on a minor league rehab assignment soon," he said. "And you're gonna see him hopefully impacting the ballclub."

The GM reported Cavalli "was bumping 97, 98" mph his last simulated game. "He's feeling good, he looks good, he looks strong, we will see him sometime in the near future with the Nats."