BALTIMORE—Francisco Cervelli has heard all the jokes. Yes, his special batting helmet makes him look like The Great Gazoo, the floating alien from The Flintstones. Yes, it appears feasible to land a 747 on it. No, he does not require a chin strap when he hits.

The Yankees catcher doesn't like the way the new Rawlings S100 helmet looks on his head. And he understands why not a single other player in the majors is willing to wear it. But three months after the concussion that prompted him to switch to the protective helmet, Mr. Cervelli has no plans to stop wearing it.

"It looks bad, but I don't care," he said. "I have to protect my head."

After a fastball struck him on his old helmet during a spring training game on March 6, Mr. Cervelli started wearing the S100 simply for safety reasons. It was his second concussion in four months. And the bulky S100, which was made mandatory for all minor-leaguers this season, is designed to withstand the impact of a 100-mph fastball.

There has been another, unanticipated benefit of the helmet, though. Mr. Cervelli said it has helped him overcome his fear of being hit again, something that otherwise might have affected him at the plate.