Yasiel Puig explains why he licks his bat

Yasiel Puig is known for his often unconventional behavior on the field, which includes licking his bat in between pitches during his at-bats.

What’s Puig’s reason for doing so? The Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder was asked that question during an interview with MLB Network on Tuesday and gave his response.

“Sometimes my bat does not taste the way I want. Sometimes I think it’s going to taste like ice cream. Strawberry, vanilla, something like that. Couple days of a lot of foul balls, it’s not tasting that great. I go inside between innings and clean my mouth. I’m not trying to say that my tongue gives me the hit, but … when I see (success), that’s the reason I want to make love with my bat to pay him back for the good job he do,” Puig said.

So there you have it. Puig licks the bat as superstition and because he’s humanizing the item and wants to reward it. He also seems to have an oral fixation in general, as evidenced by his maniacal tongue wag last year.

Hey, as long as it keeps working, Dodgers fans will be all for it, while baseball fans will continue to enjoy his unconventional ways.