The New York Yankees certainly lived up to their celebrated nickname in a season-opening sweep of the Milwaukee Brewers.
The Bronx Bombers belted a record-tying 15 home runs in their first three games — and in the process created an entirely unexpected storyline for the new season.
While slugger Aaron Judge seemed to pick up where he left off last season by leading with way with four homers, other less-celebrated power hitters joined in the barrage. When several of them were seen using an odd-looking new weapon, the baseball world seemed to go bat-crazy trying to learn more about what we now know as the ‘torpedo bat.’
What is a torpedo bat?
The idea behind the new bat design is actually pretty simple: Move more of the wood toward the sweet spot of the bat, where players try to make contact and where the bat will produce optimal results.
The result gives the torpedo bat a slightly different shape than a traditional one. Similar to a bowling pin, the bat is fatter where the label is and it tapers off slightly toward the end.
The redistribution of weight moves the ‘barrel’ area slightly toward the hands, rather than toward the end of the bat.
Yankees shortstop Anthony Volpe and second baseman Jazz Chisholm are among the players using the new bats. Both hit home runs on opening day. Chisholm added two more on Sunday.
Who created the torpedo bat design?
The torpedo bat design is the brainchild of Aaron Leanhardt, an MIT physicist who was a professor at the University of Michigan from 2007 to 2014 before joining the Yankees in 2018.
He began working with the club’s minor leaguers, then was promoted last season to become the Yankees’ lead analyst. One of his projects involved customizing bats for players to optimize success on contact.
“It’s just about making the bat as heavy and as fat as possible in the area where you’re trying to do damage on the baseball,” Leanhardt told The Athletic.
Leanhardt left the Yankees this past offseason to become a field coordinator with the Miami Marlins.
Are torpedo bats legal?
MLB Rule 3.02 states: “The bat shall be a smooth, round stick not more than 2.61 inches in diameter at the thickest part and not more than 42 inches in length. The bat shall be one piece of solid wood.”
When questioned about the new bats, MLB has stated that they do conform to all rules and are legal.
What MLB players are using torpedo bats?
Interestingly enough, torpedo bats aren’t entirely new this season. The Yankees’ research led to Giancarlo Stanton using one at the end of last season. And we all know what he did in the playoffs — hitting .273 with seven homers and 16 RBI in 14 games and winning MVP honors in the American League championship series.
Other teams have known about the torpedo bats, but many players have been reluctant to use them in games.
Notable major leaguers who are currently using torpedo bats include:
Twins catcher Ryan Jeffers
Blue Jays utilityman Davis Schneider
Rays third baseman Junior Caminero
Meanwhile, the Atlanta Braves took note of the Yankees’ success and, according to ESPN, have already ‘placed an order’ for some.