The New York Yankees broke the baseball world over the weekend as many of their players have adopted the “torpedo” bats.
The Yankees crushed 9 home runs on Saturday which is a new franchise record in one game.
This new step in bat technology is not as new as some may think, however. Giancarlo Stanton of the Yankees began to use the torpedo bat last season, including his outstanding postseason performance.
Many players around the league are beginning to switch to the torpedo bats, including Elly De La Cruz who went 4 for 5 with 2 home runs in his first game using the bat.
Players on both the Dodgers and Braves are eager to experiment with the bat and see if it is a fit for them.
Braves third baseman Austin Riley said “I may play with it” to see if the bat feels right for him. Riley, who uses Marucci bats, experimented with the hockey puck bat knob but opted to not use the altered knob.
Baltimore Orioles catcher, Adley Rutschman, is using the torpedo bat and is off to a hot start himself. Rutschman hit two home runs on Opening Day and is hitting .286 this far into the regular season.
Orioles hitting coach Cody Asche chimed in on the new bats, saying “They [Yankees] may have some more players who have adopted it at a higher rate, but I think if you’re around clubhouses, all 30 teams, you would see a guy or two who’s adopting a bat that is fashioned maybe more specifically for their swing.
I think that’s probably the next progression in hitting.”
Are the new torpedo bats the future for MLB hitters?
While Rutschman is the only hitter using the bat on the Orioles currently, the wave of popularity of the bats could soon include more than just the slugging catcher in the Orioles clubhouse.
Cedric Mullins said that he had held Rutschman’s bat but has yet to swing one of his own.
The future of bats could be these new torpedo bats, assuming Major League Baseball upholds their legality.
Rule 3.02 states “The bat shall be a smooth, round stick not more than 2.61 inches in diameter at the thickest part and not more than 42 inches in length. The bat shall be one piece of solid wood.”
While the torpedo bats do not break any of the aforementioned requirements of a bat according to Major League Baseball, the league office could change the rule at the end of the season to ultimately remove them from the game if they see fit.
There would certainly be backlash if MLB decided to make the change and until there are rumblings about it inside the league office, the bats will remain and continue to advance the game towards the future.
