Yankees Stir Debate With Torpedo Bats in Blowout Win

by Max Moreno, age 13

The New York Yankees have sparked controversy with their use of “torpedo bats,” a futuristic-looking bat with a tapered end that can boost performance. The bats are raising questions about fairness, performance, and the future of the sport.

Playing against the Milwaukee Brewers, on March 29, 2025, Yankee first baseman Paul Goldschmidt stepped up to the plate and hit a home run on the first pitch he saw. The team followed this up with four more home runs in the same inning. Fans went crazy when they saw two back-to-back home runs. As the game went on, fans noticed that the Yankees were using torpedo bats. After the Brewers' devastating 20–9 loss, fans couldn't help but wonder if these bats were legal. It turns out they are. Under MLB rules, the maximum diameter for a baseball bat is 2.61 inches. Although the barrel of the torpedobats looks bigger, it is the same size as a typical bat, just the biggest part of the bat is moved down towards the handle.

These bats were designed by MIT graduate Aaron Leanhardt. Leanhardt was previously a physics professor at the University of Michigan before the Yankees hired him to help batters make more contact. He came up with making the barrel of the bat bigger, where baseballs get hit the most. Then, after examining swing data, Leanhardt decided to move the thickest part of the bat closer to the handle.

Torpedo bats are proving themselves to be more than just a passing trend. Now, many teams such as the Cincinnati Reds, Baltimore Orioles, Chicago Cubs, Minnesota Twins, and Tampa Bay Rays have started using torpedo bats. As teams continue to explore ways to enhance player performance, advancements like the torpedo bat will slowly reshape the sport.

[Source: The Collegiate Live]