In Major League Baseball (MLB), players are always looking for a competitive advantage. This year, controversy has arisen from the Yankees’ use of the new “torpedo bats”. This new tool, where the wood of the bat is shifted from the barrel towards the batter’s hands to improve a hitter’s ability to contact the ball, has caused MLB fans to complain that they are illegal, as players who use it seem to be having significantly more success than others. Here’s a breakdown of everything you need to know about these bats. 

First, the torpedo bat is a custom baseball bat with a modified barrel that’s tailored to maximize the contact tendencies of the batter. Wood is shifted from the end of the barrel to a location closer to the hands, making the bat widest at the spot where the batter most often makes contact with the ball. Thus, each one has to be specifically made for each individual in order to ensure every bat experiences the improved “sweet spot” that the bat is supposed to offer. 

Because the Yankees are one of the least liked teams in the MLB and they had unbelievable success to start the season (especially players who are using the bats have seen tremendous improvement with both power and consistency,) people have attributed the creation of the bats to them during the past offseason. However, the bats have existed since 2022, when Aaron Leanhardt, a former Yankees front-office staffer who is now the Miami Marlins’ field coordinator, developed it while he was working with the Yankees’ minor league hitting department.

Leanhardt, who holds a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from the University of Michigan and a Ph.D. in physics from MIT, previously coached baseball in the Atlantic League and at a Montana community college. He became the Yankees’ major league analyst in 2024, and players within the organization soon began using torpedo bats in regular-season games. “Really, it’s just about making the bat as heavy and as fat as possible in the area where you’re trying to do damage on the baseball,” he told The Athletic.

Many fans have complained about the bats being illegal due to their modifications. However, the torpedo bats do not violate MLB’s rules, which state under 3.02: “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.” It goes on to state there may be a cupped indentation up to 1 1/4 inches in depth, 2 inches wide and with at least a 1-inch diameter, and experimental models must be approved by MLB. Thus, people using the bat not only aren’t breaking the rules, but they also received permission from the MLB to use it. 

Many people think Yankee’s players this season (5 total) were the first to use these bats, but it actually dates further back. Cody Bellinger utilized one last season, and Giancarlo Stanton did too during his unbelievable performance during last year’s playoffs. Now, teams all across the league have started to adapt the bats. This isn’t limited to struggling players either. Francisco Lindor, who has had immense success in the MLB every year, has also begun to use the bat alongside many other prolific players. Naturally, pitchers have been frustrated with the new technology as it only makes it harder for them to succeed. However, as the sport develops, all players will be forced to adapt along with it.