Bad news for MLB pitchers: “Everyone across the league probably now is going to be looking into using these”
The New York Yankees have hit the headlines with a new form of bat, but not everyone’s trying to copy it.
The New York Yankees have made the headlines in the United States after their unconventional bat saw them score a team-record nine homers that traveled a combined 3695 feet in their game against the Brewers.
As explained by the MLB, the bats, which have an untraditional barrel that rests closer to the hitter’s hands, are completely legal.
Yes, the Yankees have a literal genius MIT Physicist, Lenny (who is the man), on payroll. He invented the “Torpedo” barrel. It brings more wood - and mass - to where you most often make contact as a hitter. The idea is to increase the number of “barrels” and decrease misses. pic.twitter.com/CsC1wkAM9G
— Kevin Smith (@KJS_4) March 29, 2025
‘I don’t think using those bats is causing all the home runs’
Since the game, various voices in baseball have had their say, with some happier than others. White Sox manager Will Venable told reporters that he only heard about the “Torpedo” bats for the first time on Sunday morning. “I think that everyone across the league probably now is going to be looking into using these,” Venable admitted when quizzed on the matter.
Meanwhile, Padres’ infielder Xander Bogaerts said that he thought ”it was a joke" at first, presumably created by AI. “You know how you can edit pictures these days. But I saw (Jazz) Chisholm had homered. I’d never seen it, never heard of it. ... I thought they edited the picture, because I’ve never seen anything like that.”
Guardians manager Stephen Vogt was keen to remind everyone not to get too carried away and that players will always have their preferred styles: “at the end of the day, whatever feels best for each player. It’s still a human that has to hit it. It’s not the bat hitting the homer. ... I think that’s a complete individual feel thing for each person.”
For example, Padres outfielder Brandon Lockridge said that he was “a creature of habit” before going on to stress how he isn’t a fan: “I like the bats I’m using. ... I probably didn’t give it enough of a go to really know what the benefits would have been for me personally.
“When you’re going bad, it’s you typically”, he added before revealing that. “It’s not your bat. When you’re hitting well, these are really good hitters performing at the highest level. I don’t think using those bats is causing all the home runs.”
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