Which MLB Players are Using Torpedo Bats & What Are The New Bats?
After the first weekend of the MLB season, we saw an abundance of scoring and home runs. That is unusual at the start of the season, especially in the colder climates, but the offense is out early.
Most teams have played between three and five games, and four teams already have ten or more home runs and 30 or more runs scored.
Part of the reason for this explosion in runs could be from a torpedo — torpedo bats, to be specific. Some players around the league are using a brand-new type of bat. The initial discovery came when the Yankees were using them in a game that resulted in a franchise-record nine home runs and 20 runs scored.
However, many more players in the league have these new bats, and it’s had fascinating results that could change the landscape of the game.
Below, we’ll tell you every MLB player using the new torpedo bats so far — with more to come potentially, what these new bats are, and whether they’re legal under MLB rules.
What is the Torpedo Bat?
Torpedo bat isn’t the official name, but it’s the adopted name due to the barrel being shaped like a torpedo. See the shape of these new bats in the Alec Bohm at-bat below.
The difference between this bat and the typical bat is that more of the wood is moved to the hitter’s “sweet spot,” where the hitter generates most of their power.
What makes this bat special is that it’s unique to each player. This started with the Yankees, whose analytics department looked at each hitter’s data to determine their sweet spot and made the barrel thicker in that area.
That’s why we’re seeing inflated numbers for some of these players early in the season; this bat focuses on their strengths.
How was the Torpedo Bat Created?
The Yankees could be getting most of the attention because the bat was developed within their organization. It was invented by MIT physicist Aaron Leanhardt while working with the Yankees organization in the analytics department.
Leanhardt realized it would be best to put the thickest part and most weight of the bat where the hitter wants to make contact. This also gives them a wider barrel, which could prevent them from getting under the ball and popping it up or getting on top for a ground ball.
What Players are Using Torpedo Bats?
Several MLB players from around the league have started using the torpedo bat to start the season. However, many more have said they’re interested in incorporating it into their game.
Here are the current players known to use it so far, and their stats early in the season.
- Elly De La Cruz, SS, Cincinnati Reds – .438, 2 HR, 8 RBI
- Adley Rutschman, C, Baltimore Orioles – .286, 2 HR, 8 RBI
- Jose Trevino, C, Cincinnati Reds – .222, 0 HR, 0 RBI
- Dansby Swanson, SS, Chicago Cubs – .259, 2 HR, 5 RBI
- Nico Hoerner, 2B, Chicago Cubs – .375, 0 HR, 2 RBI
- Ryan Jeffers, C, Minnesota Twins – .200, 0 HR, 0 RBI
- Francisco Lindor, SS, New York Mets – .000, 0 HR, 1 RBI
- Cody Bellinger, OF, New York Yankees – .400, 1 HR, 6 RBI
- Jazz Chisholm Jr., 2B, New York Yankees – .417, 3 HR, 6 RBI
- Paul Goldschmidt, 1B, New York Yankees – .417, 1 HR, 2 RBI
- Anthony Volpe, SS, New York Yankees – .167, 2 HR, 4 RBI
- Austin Wells, C, New York Yankees – .200, 2 HR, 3 RBI
- Junior Caminero, 3B, Tampa Bay Rays – .429, 0 HR, 1 RBI
- Alec Bohm, 3B, Philadelphia Phillies – .263, 0 HR, 2 RBI
- Oneil Cruz, OF, Pittsburgh Pirates – .200 1 HR, 2 RBI
What we see is that the bat could be influencing some players’ stats, specifically power. However, this bat is not a cheat code and will make you automatically a great hitter.
It’s already being rumored that orders for the bat have soared in the last few days, so the number of players using them will rise over time as the season progresses.
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Are Torpedo Bats Legal?
The debate on social media has been about whether these torpedo bats are legal. Regardless of what anyone says, these bats are fully legal to use for any player under current MLB rules.
MLB 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.”
The torpedo bats meets all those requirements, so they are here to stay for now.
Will the Torpedo Bat Stay in MLB?
There have been mixed reactions to the surge in this bat. Obviously, hitters are excited about an opportunity to have a bat customized to their strengths and help them get a better connection to the ball.
De La Cruz used it for the first time on March 31 and had a monster game, including a career-high seven RBIs. After the game, he would say about the bat, “It feels really good.”
Pitchers are obviously against these new innovations as this could inflate their numbers. Brewers pitcher Trevor Megill, who played against the Yankees this past weekend, was vocal about the bats.
It seems like this will be a hot topic throughout summer, but the torpedo bat is likely going nowhere for the 2025 season. The better question is how commonly used it will become.
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