Torpedo Bats Will Revive Baseball

By Jeremy Shodell 

Baseball is in a unique position. As of March 27th, the 162-game season is officially underway. New storylines develop rapidly as teams compete in any professional sport, but this season brings a development unlike anything the sport has seen before. The New York Yankees, alongside their analytics department, have spearheaded a baseball bat revolution that is taking the league by storm. Buster Onley with ESPN writes that “batting averages are at a historic low, strikeout rates at a historic high, and on a sunny spring day in the Bronx, here were the Yankees blasting baseballs into the seats with what seemed to be a strangely shaped magic bat.” The Yankees’ analytics department utilized the data on where pitches tend to strike each player’s bat, designing specific barrels to optimize this spot. These are being referred to as ‘torpedo’ bats because they are shaped similarly to a torpedo, as shown below.

Questions come to mind, such as How can they do this? Is this legal? Yes, it is. The MLB confirmed that the bats do not violate supplier regulations. Rule 3.02 states that a bat must be less than 2.61 inches in diameter and 42 inches in length. The bats do not violate these rules and provide the batter with a larger sweet spot.

 Torpedo bats have led the Yankees to a record-breaking start to the season; they broke the franchise record for most home runs in a single game, smashing nine home runs against the Brewers, as well as setting the MLB record for most home runs through six games with 22 dingers. After the Yankees found success using these bats, the rest of the league is hopping on the bandwagon. This bat revolution is going to benefit the game of baseball in many ways.

These bats provide more action throughout the game as players are hitting the ball in the sweet spot more often. “The concept makes so much sense. I know I’m bought in,” Yankees shortstop Anthony Volpe said. “The bigger you can have the barrel where you hit the ball, it makes sense to me.” There have been noticeable results for Volpe and the other Yankees who opted in. Volpe, Jazz Chisholm, Cody Bellinger, Paul Goldschmidt, and Austin Wells are the Yankees utilizing torpedo bats to start the year, and they have seen beneficial results. They all have increased their barrel rate (the percentage of balls making contact with the barrel of the bat) from last season, with Volpe and Chisolm having the most considerable difference. Volpe’s barrel rate increased from 3.9% last season to 21.4% while Chisolm’s increased from 9.7% to 18.9% through the first six games! This is exactly what fans want to see. 

Everyone has a short attention span nowadays and does not want to see a baseball game end with a score of 1-0. These bats lead to more action throughout the game and will engage more fans to attend the ballpark. Jared Smith, CEO of bat-maker Victus, said, “I’ve been making bats for 15, 16 years. … This is the most talked-about thing in the industry since I started. And I hope we can make better-performing bats that work for players.” These bats are bringing more attention to Baseball and can influence more people to invest in the sport. 

To no surprise, other MLB teams are taking interest. After the Atlanta Braves’ opening series, their players asked about the bats. Shortly after, their equipment manager called in the order. Later in the week, all 30 teams had inquired about torpedo bats. Hillerich & Bradsby Co., who are known for its iconic Louisville Slugger bats, is assisting with distribution. “Every team started trying to get orders in,” Hillerich said. “We’re trying to scramble to get wood.” And then it was: “How fast can we get this to retail?” 

If younger athletes can get their hands on these bats, the sport will gain countless new fans. A young baseball player can swing a torpedo bat at Dick’s Sporting Goods and his career will be changed. The feeling when you make contact with the sweet spot of the bat and watch the ball fly away is one like no other. Every player can develop their own opinion on the bats, but Cody Bellinger is a strong advocate. “The benefit for me is that I like the weight distribution,” Bellinger said. “Personally, the weight is closer to my hands, so I feel as if it’s lighter in a way. For me, that was the biggest benefit. The bigger the sweet spot, the bigger the margin for error.” 

If these professional players are buying in, how long will it take for the rest of the country to utilize this development? With more entertaining games and increased attention to the sport, baseball fandom is expected to grow throughout the country, benefiting both professional and young aspiring baseball players.