(Photo courtesy of the MLB) “Torpedo bats have caused much controversy and debate over their inclusion in Major League games since their invention.”
Liam O’Keefe
Connector Staff
The MLB had its opening day on March 27, and from the very first day, there has been one main topic that has sparked lots of debate throughout the baseball community. In their first series against the Milwaukee Brewers, the New York Yankees debuted a new type of baseball bat, which is now referred to as a torpedo bat. These bats are unique because they have a changed shape, and the barrel of the bat is moved down to where players make the most contact with the ball.
These bats have become such a big talking point due to their early wild success. In their first series using the torpedo bats, the Yankees tied a major league record with 15 home runs over their first three games. Nine of these runs came from Yankees using the torpedo bats as the Yankees swept the Brewers with a run differential of +22 over three games. Fans, analysts, and opposing teams immediately took notice, and the buzz hasn’t slowed down since.
These bats came from the mind of Aaron Leanhardt, who is a Yankees minor league hitting coordinator and a MIT graduate. In the spring of 2023, pitchers had been dominating the league, batting averages had hit their lowest point in half a century. Seeing that issues were on the horizon, Leanhardt wanted to do something to even the playing field.
He began designing multiple prototypes of the bat, using advanced modeling and swing path data, ultimately developing the torpedo bat that we see in use today.
The opinions on the new bats differ depending on who you may ask. Many fans question the bats’ legality and worry that this new technology will change the game too much, as baseball is a sport honored through tradition. On the other hand, some fans are interested in the bat’s capability to make the sport more interesting as science and sports get more intertwined.
The response from players is also mixed. Anthony Volpe, third baseman for the Yankees and torpedo bat user showed his support for it saying “I know I’m bought in. The bigger you can have the barrel where you hit the ball, it makes sense to me.” However, Brewers reliever Trevor Megill called the bats “terrible” and “something used in slow-pitch softball.” This reaction isn’t unexpected as the bats give an inherent advantage to hitters, so it makes sense that batters love them, while pitchers despise them.
Adding to the bat’s controversy is the league’s current stance on them. As of now, the MLB has not made an official ruling on the legality of the torpedo bats, stating only that they are under review. This limbo has left many teams unsure whether to adopt the bats themselves or challenge their use. If the league bans the bats, we could be witnessing one of the coolest trivia facts in baseball, but if they are greenlit, we could be looking at one of the most transformative pieces of sports technology in decades.
