A New Era in Hitting or Just Another Fad?
The return of baseball opened with exorbitant activity from the New York Yankees team. The Bronx Bombers hit 15 home runs throughout their initial three games which matched a Major League Baseball record. A different aspect, apart from power, struck both fans and analysts as exciting. The true watercooler talk? Their secret weapon: the “torpedo” bat.
The new torpedo bat design from Aaron Judge to Jazz Chisholm Jr. establishes an innovative style of hitting that players use. What constitutes a “torpedo” bat that produces this baseball sensation, and could the MLB adopt it as its standard wood bat soon?
Let’s break it down.
What Are ‘Torpedo’ Bats?
Torpedo is the name that came from the torpedo-shaped appearance of these bats. Traditional bats have an equal wood distribution at their end points, whereas the torpedo bat strategically redirects wood mass to match player-specific hot zones. Pitchers can customize their bats to reach maximum power and contact through this process.
How does it do this? Every hitter received custom barrel arrangements from the Yankees’ analytics department that utilized enhanced player data. Yankees shortstop Anthony Volpe’s perfect hitting spot exists close to the bat label, which determines the calibration of his bat.
During the first weekend, John Chisholm Jr., along with Paul Goldschmidt, Austin Wells, and Victor Cody Bellinger, used torpedo bat models. According to Chisholm, the bat feels different, but the difference does not overpower his perception at all.
“It doesn’t seem like a different bat,” Chisholm said following his multi-homer game. “It just helps you in a little way… You feel like you have more to work with.”
The technology behind this bat is credited to MIT physicist Aaron “Lenny” Leanhardt, who first came up with the concept while working for the Yankees. His goal? To give hitters more control and consistency.
Why the Sudden Hype?
It’s simple: the Yankees’ hot start. In their 20-9 thrashing of the Milwaukee Brewers, the team recorded a franchise record nine home runs in a game. With these newfound bats being wielded by batsmen like Bellinger and Chisholm, rumors ran amok.
Even opposing players have started to take stock.
Padres ace Manny Machado, with a microphone in place during a game, joked, “They can send some our way if they’re gonna be hitting homers like that.”
Orioles outfielder Cedric Mullins also gave a nod to the innovation:
“Trying to give hitters any kind of edge because pitching is only getting better. It’s an interesting concept. It’s getting around pretty quickly.”
And not just Yankees players are embracing the change. During Spring Training, Twins catcher Ryan Jeffers and Rays hitters Junior Caminero and Yandy Díaz were seen trying out torpedo bats. The Braves had some reportedly ordered after watching the Yankees’ power surge.
Not everyone is so happy about it, however
The Debate: Game-Changer or Unfair Advantage?
The torpedo bat has been contentious for fans, coaches, and players. Some see it as the progression of the bat, but others question whether or not it is giving one too much of an edge.
Brewers pitcher Trevor Megill wasn’t reluctant to share his thoughts after being faced with the Yankees’ rebuilt lineup.
“It seems to me pretty damn awful,” said Megill to the New York Post. “I feel it’s like something for slow-pitch softball.”
Some think that manipulation in the bat may change the physics of making contact, making it easier to square up balls. How great an edge or how small a difference that can be determined.
Even in the Yankees’ clubhouse, a few aren’t sold
Even after hitting four homers this weekend, Aaron Judge remains happy with his old-school bat. “The last few years kind of speak for themselves. Why mess with something?” is basically how simple he made the explanation.
Do You Have to Be Legally a Torpedo Bat?
Yes, at least for the time being.
Despite being rather broad, they apply under the MLB Bats rules. To be:
- Round, smooth stick
- No wider than 2.61 inches
- No longer than 42 inches
- One piece of solid wood
A test bat would also need to have prior clearance from Major League Baseball before being used for any match. Because torpedo bats still abide by all of these stipulations, they are now eligible for use in a game.
But if they do start leveling off as far as popularity goes and probably also used, and then find themselves uplifting offensive output, Major League Baseball may probably revisit the rule again.
It’s not just a Yankees phenomenon since other teams are experimenting with the torpedo bats as well. If they keep hitting record-breaking home runs, we pretty much will see a league-wide change in bat design. Is this the next big baseball evolution, like how launch angle data revolutionized hitting strategies in recent years?
Or will pitchers resist, prompting possible rule changes?
As the Yankees keep hammering home runs, talk about torpedo bats is only getting more boisterous. Whether they become an MLB mainstay or a flash in the pan is yet to be determined. But for now, one thing’s for sure: these bats have revolutionized the game—and the league is taking notice.
Will torpedo bats be more of a sight as the season goes along? If the Yankees’ fast start is any guide, don’t be surprised if the rest of Major League Baseball catches up.
