New Bat Taking MLB By Storm

Jared Tofil | Contributing writer

Photo Credit: Jared Tofil

At the start of the 2025 MLB season, the Yankees started the year off hot at the plate. This might not initially raise alarms, as the Yankees have a reputation for hitting home runs, but they tied the record for most home runs in the first three games with 15 bombs. Now that may raise concerns, and people started to notice some weird-looking bats in the hands of the pinstripes.

Coined the Torpedo Bat, the new look rebalances the bat with a tapered barrel that increases bat speed while still maintaining pop. The “sweet spot” is shifted from the end of the barrel to the middle of the barrel in an effort to help players make better contact with the ball. Initially, this was precisely what was happening as people's totals in HRs started to jump tremendously and batting averages were up, but what do these star players' stats look like 3 weeks into the season?

Yankees center fielder Cody Bellinger started the season after three games batting .400 with 1 HR and 6 RBIs, but now is in a cold streak, batting .173 and has 19 strikeouts. Another Yankee, Jazz Chisholm Jr., started the season with an average of .417 and 3 HRs. While he has managed to hit four more up to today's date, his average has fallen drastically to .159. But someone who has continued to hit well with the new bat on the New York team is Paul Goldschmidt. Holdschmidt is currently hitting .371 with 32 hits. This is just behind superstar Aaron Judge in both categories.

Some other MLB players who have started using the Torpedo include Elly De La Cruz, Francisco Lindor, Adley Rutschman, and many more, with mixed success. So, if players are beginning to struggle in some cases, what's with the controversy surrounding the request for bans and the initial accusation of cheating against the Yankees?

Currently, the rules permit a maximum barrel diameter of 2.61 inches, a maximum length of 42 inches, and a smooth, round shape. The lack of restrictions allows MLB's authorized bat manufacturers to toy with bat geometry. And in this case, the bats break no rules. Aaron Leanhardt, a-then Yankees coach and now Marlins field operator, first experimented with the design in 2023 and 2024. Giancarlo Stanton, last year in the postseason, started using one and went on a home run spree in October alongside Mets' Francisco Lindor, who also began using one.

A rule change could realistically occur, but as of now, there is no indication that it will happen. Sports bodies continually adjust rules to maintain fairness in the game, such as the curvature of sticks in hockey, full-body suits in swimming, and many more. Therefore, if the MLB determines in the future that these players are significantly ahead of everyone else in individual statistics, a rule change may occur. But for now, they are here to stay.