A look at the current "Torpedo Bat" situation in MLB

04/01/2025 09:00 AM

Torpedo Bats have taken MLB discourse by storm. But are they here to stay?

The New York Yankees had as good of a start to their season as any team could ask for. Not only did they come away with three wins and a sweep against the defending NL Central champion Milwaukee Brewers, but they hit 15 home runs throughout those three games, including nine during their 20-9 second-game rout, setting a single-game franchise record.

As a result of all the baseballs sent over the walls in the Bronx, occasionally-heated discussions began about the bats that some of the Yankees were using. Two-time AL MVP Aaron Judge continued to use the ol' reliable while launching four bombs because, in his words, "Why try to change something if you have something that's working?" But several teammates had something new when they stepped into the batter's box.

Dubbed "Torpedo Bats" for their torpedo-shaped barrels, they're made differently for each hitter, with the bigger part of the barrel adjusted to where the hitter contacts the ball with the bat. Ideally, when contact is made in the spot where the biggest part of the bat is, it allows the hitter to hit the ball harder and send the ball farther. (For more information, former Yankees infielder Kevin Smith provided a helpful, quick explainer.)

Some players, like Brewers reliever Trevor Megill, had some choice words about the new bats to the New York Post in wake of the Yankees' carnage. He and a frustrated number of fans have little interest in them sticking around for the long haul.

Following the series, however, most of the Brewers—including former Yankee pitcher Nestor Cortes, outfielder Christian Yelich, Opening Day starter Freddy Peralta, and most tellingly, manager Pat Murphy—all said they were okay with the Yankees' usage of them (per The Athletic's Chris Kirschner).

Cortes and Murphy had two of the best quotes following the series loss.

"I think those were gonna go out regardless if they had a (bowling) pin bat or a regular bat," Cortes said. "I got no idea what these bats do."

And Murphy followed that up with a quote that's about as simple as it can get.

"It's not like some magical wood or anything else," said the the 2024 NL Manager of the Year. "It's just built with the weight in a different spot. They're really good hitters, and if pitchers want to get annoyed, then the hitters win. Just make good pitches. When you throw the ball down the middle, you're going to get it whacked. That's what happens."

Despite the outrage from Megill (and the overall indifference from the rest of the Brewers), there are more players across the league using the Torpedo Bats, including New York Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor, Baltimore Orioles catcher Adley Rutschman, Tampa Bay Rays infielder Junior Caminero, and others.

And, according to Gary Phillips of the New York Daily News, there are at least 12 other teams who are either already using the bats or have expressed a serious interest in them. It doesn't sound like that dozen will be alone, either.

Given the Yankees' success at the plate against the Brewers, there were skeptics that this kind of bat may have given them a competitive advantage. It's hard not to see a team use newer technology and be upset about it when it results in setting franchise records on opening weekend. However, correlation does not equal causation, especially in this case. Had the Yankees not been so explosive against the Brewers, it's highly unlikely anyone would be batting an eye toward this technology. It was simply noticed because of the extreme power that was on display in The Bronx. It's not as though the Brewers' maligned pitching staff helped their cause when they left town, either, as they promptly got destroyed by the Royals back at home yesterday, 11-1.

Instead of the bats becoming something MLB will look to ban or find a way to regulate, it appears that the league will let things run its course. They were quick to report information about the bats to the public, and as noted, provided examples of other players using them, too. With teams and players adding Torpedo Bats to their arsenals, it's going to become a technology that continues to drive discourse. Which players find the most success with them? Which players struggle with them, and for what reasons might they struggle with them compared to a normal bat?

So, as of now, Torpedo Bats are here to stay, and the Yankees smashing 15 home runs over a weekend isn't solely due to the different-shaped barrels (even if they probably helped). Instead, it will be interesting to see what kind of difference the Torpedo Bats make in the long term both for individuals and teams. So, get used to it, folks, because they're perfectly legal at this point, and they're not going away any time soon.