A new world of professional baseball is coming to notice this spring. Torpedo bats are hot, with more notably used by the New York Yankees. Some top athletes who use the bat include Jazz Chisolm, Dansby Swanson, Anthony Volpe and Elly De La Cruz.
Designed by a team of engineers, the bat will revolutionize the offense of playing with its custom aerodynamic design and enhanced performance attributes. The torpedo bat, named by the fact that its barrel narrows into a torpedo shape, employs the shape in reducing air resistance while still retaining the traditional feel of a wood bat. According to MLB officials, the appearance of the bat was based on the torpedo for its potential in delivering maximum power and speed on swings without compromising control or durability of the bat.
Source: AP News, Pamela Smith
Having this design provides great improvement to smaller ball players’ power and contact. Players like Volpe and Chisolm become at a greater advantage when using the torpedo bat. The new bat design was first introduced in limited trials during the 2024 offseason, with several major league players testing it out in batting practice.
Initial response has been positive, with players noting the responsiveness of the bat and enhanced barrel control. “The bat does feel wonderful,” said New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge, who participated in the initial testing, according to CBS Sports. “It feels very natural, but you can certainly tell that it’s power based. I think it’s going to take the game to the next level.”
“I think the torpedo bat will change the game of baseball and make the game more fun to watch. What I don’t think is fair is that people are against the Yankees for using the bat when almost every team is using the bat,” said sophomore Frank Scarpaci.
While promising, the torpedo bat has caused some controversy. Some complain that the redesigned bat can continue to fuel the increasing number of home runs in the game and possibly disrupt the sport’s offense-defense balance. With concerns already on the brew about the so-called “juiced ball” era, some old-school advocates fear that the torpedo bat would further exacerbate the problem.
“It’s going to be an interesting game; pitchers will struggle and hitters are going to be able to capitalize now. It sucks for people who really love the pitching side of the game, but at the same time this makes the game way more watchable and enjoyable,” said sophomore Enzo Capano.
The torpedo bat’s Major League Baseball (MLB) approval follows a comprehensive analysis by the league’s equipment committee. The committee reviewed the bat’s performance, player safety and overall impact on the game. The final nod follows months of testing and fine-tuning to ascertain that the bat is up to the league’s high standards of equity and integrity.
“MLB should be happy the torpedo bat is taking off, this brings enjoyment to the game now, adds some power to the players who don’t really show off their power,” said sophomore CJ Sonta.
Even though the bat’s official introduction was this 2025 season, players are already incorporating the design into their training regimens. As the torpedo bat slowly finds its way onto every teams diamond, all eyes will be on how it impacts offense statistics, including batting average, home runs and strikeouts.
