Some Yankees have been swinging unique lumber lately, but nothing illegal.
The Bombers’ bats drew attention on Saturday, as the team set a franchise record with nine home runs in a 20-9 win over the Brewers. Early in the game, YES Network broadcaster Michael Kay highlighted a few Yankees using new bats, including Anthony Volpe and Jazz Chisholm Jr., who both went deep.
The bats have barrels that are closer to the hands. Traditionally, bats have barrels closer to the end.
“It’s actually a little bit lower than the barrel,” Kay continued. “The Yankee front office, the analytics department, did a study on Anthony Volpe, and every single ball it seemed like he hit on the label. He didn’t hit any on the barrel, so they had bats made up where they moved a lot of the wood into the label, so the harder part of the bat is going to actually strike the ball.”
Michael Kay explains that the Yankees made new bats “where they moved a lot of the wood into the label so the harder part of the bat is going to strike the ball.”
Seems relevant today… pic.twitter.com/cpldzigdrT
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) March 29, 2025
The bats, while a bit odd in shape, are well within Major League Baseball’s rules, a source confirmed with the Daily News.
Those rules — specifically Rule 3.02 — state, “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 rulebook also states that “experimental” bats can’t be used “until the manufacturer has secured approval from Major League Baseball of his design and methods of manufacture.”
“It’s all within major league standards,” Aaron Boone assured on Sunday morning.
Kevin Smith, a recently retired infielder who spent time with the Yankees last season, revealed on X that Aaron Leanhardt pitched the “torpedo” design to the team last year. Leanhardt is now with the Marlins, but he held the title of major league coaching staff analyst with the Yankees last season.
Leanhardt has a PhD in physics from MIT and taught the subject at the University of Michigan.
“He invented the ‘Torpedo’ barrel,” Smith wrote. “It brings more wood – and mass – to where you most often make contact as a hitter. The idea is to increase the number of ‘barrels’ and decrease misses.”
Yes, the Yankees have a literal genius MIT Physicist, Lenny (who is the man), on payroll. He invented the “Torpedo” barrel. It brings more wood – and mass – to where you most often make contact as a hitter. The idea is to increase the number of “barrels” and decrease misses. pic.twitter.com/CsC1wkAM9G
— Kevin Smith (@KJS_4) March 29, 2025
“Lenny was working really hard at it,” Volpe said Sunday.
Volpe saw teammates having success with the bats, so he tried them out. However, the first model he tested felt “horrible,” so he didn’t switch to the torpedo design until this season.
“The concept makes so much sense,” said the shortstop, who homered in his first two games of the season. “I know I’m bought in.”
Cody Bellinger, who also homered Saturday, said that four or five Yankees are using the torpedoes, himself included. Paul Goldschmidt and Austin Wells were also pictured with the clubs.
Bellinger, a former Cub, actually tested a few out in Chicago last season, but only in batting practice. His preferred manufacturer, Louisville Slugger, couldn’t make a bat that was quite right, but he started swinging torpedo models prior to spring training this year and felt comfortable. His new bat is an ounce lighter than what he previously tried, and he liked the way the weight was distributed even though he had to shift from maple to birch.
“I like the weight distribution, personally,” Bellinger said. “The weight’s closer to my hands, so I feel as if it’s lighter in a way. So that was, for me, the biggest benefit. And then obviously, bigger the sweet spot, bigger the margin for error.”
While some Yankees have enjoyed their torpedo bats, others aren’t even interested in trying them.
Jasson Domínguez is among them. So is Aaron Judge, who couldn’t believe all the fuss that was being made over the Yankees’ new wood.
“Is this real?” Judge asked when stopped by reporters in the team’s clubhouse.
As for why he’s not interested in the torpedo bats, the two-time MVP made a valid point.
“What I did the past couple seasons kind of speaks for itself,” said Judge, who hit three homers on Saturday. “Why try to change something if you’ve got something that’s working?”
Even those who are using the bats questioned just how much of an impact they can make.
Volpe, for example, said “it’s probably just placebo” when asked if he’s felt a difference in his contact.
“A lot of it is just looking up at your bat and you see how big the barrel is, but it’s exciting,” he continued. “I think any .001% mentally that it gives you confidence helps.”
Bellinger said there’s a drawback to using the torpedoes: “If you don’t hit it on the sweet spot, it doesn’t necessarily feel as good.”
Domínguez, meanwhile, mentioned in passing that Giancarlo Stanton used the design last season. Stanton recently attributed his lingering elbow injuries to “bat adjustments,” but declined to elaborate.
With the Yankees sharing mixed feelings on the torpedo bats, Boone said that the team is not recommending them to players. Instead, it’s up to individual hitters if they want to use them.
Boone doesn’t consider the bats to be game-changing, but rather something that can help “on the margins.”
The manager also said that experimenting with bat designs is nothing new. He used several models throughout his career and even had different shapes for right-handed and left-handed pitchers.
However, Bellinger previously told The News that hitters throughout the game have become more focused on weight distribution over the past three or four years with the help of technology such as Blast Motion bat sensors. He likened the changing approach to the way in which golfers are particular about their clubs.
Boone made the same comparison on Sunday.
“Back in the day, you had your set of clubs and you went out and played,” said the skipper, who has not tried swinging a torpedo bat. “Now you get in a simulator and you’re hitting and trying to optimize as best you can. We’re able to do that a little bit better now. So some of the guys have changed some things. Some of the guys are like, ‘No, I don’t like this.’”
Bellinger and Judge also noted that there are now bats with puck knobs, which are meant to counterbalance the weight of the barrel.
As for the torpedo bats, the Yankees weren’t sure if they will spread like wildfire across the league following the team’s nine-homer performance on Saturday. After all, this is a sport full of old habits and superstitions.
“I think us baseball players are very into what we like,” Bellinger said, though he knew people would notice his bat’s funky shape. “We’re very, ‘Nah, this is what works.’ I don’t know. It’s really tough to say. It’s very unique. I didn’t like a lot of the models that I was swinging in spring either. I just like this certain one that I’ve been swinging, so it’s just gonna be hit or miss with guys.”
Volpe, however, said that he’s been getting questions about the bats whenever he’s on base. With that in mind, he expects some opponents to copy what he and other Yankees are doing.
“I’m sure there’s a part of our clubhouse and our team that would have wanted it to be a secret,” Volpe said, “but it was always gonna get out.”
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