- The “torpedo bat” has captured the baseball world’s imagination early in the season, and the bowling pin-shaped bat is paying dividends for some.
- Many New York Yankees used it opening weekend, and hit 15 home runs en route to a sweep of the Milwaukee Brewers.
- Cincinnati’s Elly De La Cruz tried it on Monday, and hit two homers, a single, and a double for seven RBIs in a 14-3 rout of Texas.
Baseball players are constantly looking for a leg up on the competition. The newest concept to be tried out in Major League Baseball is the torpedo bat, which is shaped like a bowling pin.
A few players on the New York Yankees used them during opening weekend to resounding success in a sweep of the Milwaukee Brewers. Cincinnati’s Elly De La Cruz gave it a shot on Monday night as the Reds opened a series against the Texas Rangers, and had himself a monster night.
What Is the Torpedo Bat, and Why Is It Successful?
The torpedo bat was developed by Aaron Leanhardt, a professor at the University of Michigan, who studied physics at MIT. He created the torpedo bat, which is shaped like a bowling pin, and the basic premise is that it puts more wood into the barrel of the bat, where the ball is hit.
The Yankees were the first to use the torpedo bats, as Leanhardt went to the team in 2023 to ask them about improving their performance. After two years, the Yankees put the bats into practice for their opening series against Milwaukee, and needless to say, they worked.
The Yankees put up 36 runs in a three-game sweep of the Brewers, including 15 home runs. Nine homers came from the torpedo bat, although none from Aaron Judge, who hit four homers in the series, including three in Game 2’s 20-9 romp.
Players around the league have been asking about the torpedo bat, and Cincinnati’s Elly De La Cruz used it on Monday as the Reds opened up a series with Texas. The Reds’ star went off, hitting a pair of homers, along with a single and a double for seven RBIs in a 14-3 rout of the Rangers. Needless to say, De La Cruz is a fan of the bat. He should be a consideration when making your best home run bets in the near future.
The Brewers might have some PTSD this weekend after facing the Yankees. De La Cruz and the Reds head to Milwaukee this weekend.
Will the Torpedo Bat Last in MLB?
It seems like the bats are here to stay, as Major League Baseball says the torpedo bats are legal. Hitters were getting upset about the number of strikeouts that were happening, so this is their attempt at leveling the playing field.
MLB won’t stand in the way, as they know that ratings will go up as offense increases. One only needs to go back to the Mark McGwire/Sammy Sosa home run wars of the 1990s when seemingly everyone was on steroids. You could argue that was baseball’s most popular time.
It seems like the onus is now back on the pitchers to improve their stuff when facing hitters. More players are going to use the torpedo bat, although many continue to say that it’s more about the player than the bat, and they may be right.
The bat surely helps, but players still must have the hand-eye coordination to get the bat around in time to hit the ball in the sweet spot. Still, it’s interesting to see how much the torpedo bat continues to affect the game and whether it will become one of the worst MLB rules.