The baseball world is abuzz about the “torpedo bat” – a design that’s redefining how players approach the plate. With the Yankees’ historic 15-homer performance in their opening series, these unconventionally shaped bats have moved from batting practice curiosities to prime-time performers.
The Science Behind the Shape
The torpedo bat (also called the “bowling pin bat”) comes from the mind of Aaron Leanhardt, an MIT-educated physicist who served as a Yankees hitting coordinator in 2023 before joining the Miami Marlins as field coordinator. His question was simple: how could hitters keep up in an era dominated by elite pitching?
“Players were frustrated by the fact that pitching had gotten so good,” Leanhardt explained.
The solution? Redistribute the bat’s weight where it matters most. Traditional bats distribute weight evenly along their length or concentrate it at the end. The torpedo design shifts more wood to the “sweet spot” – approximately 6-7 inches from the tip – where MLB hitters typically make contact.
Leanhardt framed the problem using what he calls a “wood budget” concept: every bat has a fixed amount of weight (usually 31-32 ounces) that must be distributed across its length. By concentrating more mass at the contact point and tapering the end, the bat maintains legal dimensions (maximum 2.61-inch diameter, 42-inch length) while optimizing performance.
“Every penny counts,” Leanhardt said. “The fact of the matter is you want your barrels to count the most. You want the most bang for your buck there.”
Record-Breaking Performance
The Yankees’ opening weekend showcased the potential impact of these bats. The team hit 15 home runs in their first three games against the Brewers, tying the 2006 Detroit Tigers for the MLB record. On March 29, 2025, they blasted nine homers traveling a combined 3,695 feet.
Five Yankees – Anthony Volpe, Jazz Chisholm Jr., Cody Bellinger, Paul Goldschmidt, and Austin Wells – used torpedo bats during this offensive explosion. (Aaron Judge, who hit four homers in the series, stuck with a traditional model.)
Giancarlo Stanton was an early adopter, using prototype models during the 2024 postseason when he hit seven home runs in 14 games.
The Reds’ Elly De La Cruz tried a torpedo bat for the first time on Monday, April 1, and promptly hit two homers while collecting a career-high seven RBIs in a 14-3 win over Texas.
The Physics at Work
The science behind the torpedo bat is comparable to the difference between a sledgehammer and a broom handle. A sledgehammer concentrates mass at the tip, making it harder to swing but more impactful on contact. A broom handle swings quickly but lacks mass for impact. The torpedo bat attempts to balance these properties by concentrating mass at the likely contact point.
“This bat is just trying to say: What if we put the mass where the ball is going to hit so that we have an optimized equation of mass and velocity?” explained Scott Drake, president of PFS-TECO, a laboratory that inspects MLB bats.
This design creates a trade-off: hits off the sweet spot potentially gain exit velocity, while mishits may be weaker than with traditional bats. But as Leanhardt noted, a weak hit is an out regardless of bat type, while the difference between 101 mph and 102 mph exit velocity could turn a flyout into a home run.
Player Reactions: Mixed Reviews
Players using the torpedo bats have reported varying experiences:
Jazz Chisholm Jr. said: “It still felt like my bat. I hit the ball at the barrel, feel comfortable in the box. I don’t know what else to tell you. I don’t know the science of it, I’m just playing baseball.”
Anthony Volpe noted the bat’s “bigger barrel where you hit the ball” improved his contact.
The Phillies’ Alec Bohm, who went 1-for-4 in his first game with a torpedo bat, was less enthusiastic: “It felt just like a normal bat,” he said, adding, “It’ll probably run its course.”
Twins catcher Ryan Jeffers (1-for-8 with the model) observed: “There’s new pitches getting invented every year. We’re just swinging the same broomstick we’ve swung for the last 100 years.”
Not everyone is a fan. Brewers reliever Trevor Megill criticized the bats as being “like something used in slow-pitch softball” after watching Yankees hitters dominate his team.
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Legality and Regulations
Despite some complaints, MLB has confirmed that torpedo bats fully comply with Rule 3.02, which requires bats to be:
- Smooth and round
- Made of solid wood
- No larger than 2.61 inches in diameter
- No longer than 42 inches
The bats underwent proper approval processes before the 2025 season, with manufacturers working closely with league officials.
Industry Impact
Bat manufacturers have quickly jumped on the trend. Victus, Marucci, and Chandler Bats all launched torpedo models online following the Yankees’ success. The bats are labeled “BP” (for bowling pin) or “torpedo” in manufacturer catalogs.
“Credit to any of the players who were willing to listen to me, because it’s crazy,” Leanhardt said. “Listening to me describe it is sometimes even crazier. It’s a long-running project, and I’m happy for the guys that bought into it.”
The Bigger Picture
The torpedo bat represents the latest chapter in baseball’s ongoing bat evolution. From Babe Ruth’s hefty 44-ounce ash bat to today’s lighter maple and birch models, bat technology has constantly adapted to changes in the game.
Others see it as part of baseball’s copycat culture. “Some guys have definitely tried them, but we haven’t found anyone who really fell in love with them,” said one NL executive. “If the Yankees keep hitting homers with them, I’m sure someone will give it a shot.”
Yankees manager Aaron Boone emphasized that while the bats may provide an edge, success ultimately comes down to the players: “At the end of the day it’s about the batter not the bat,” he said. “It’s about the hitter and their hitting coaches.”
As more teams experiment with torpedo bats – including the Marlins, Rays, and Mets – their long-term impact remains to be seen. But for a sport always searching for competitive advantages within the margins, this physics-based innovation might just have found the sweet spot.
Frequently Asked Questions
A torpedo bat (also called a “bowling pin bat”) is an innovative baseball bat design that redistributes weight to optimize performance. Unlike traditional bats that distribute weight evenly or concentrate it at the end, torpedo bats shift more wood to the “sweet spot” – approximately 6-7 inches from the tip where MLB hitters typically make contact. The design maintains legal dimensions while potentially improving exit velocity on well-hit balls.
Yes, torpedo bats are fully compliant with MLB Rule 3.02, which requires bats to be smooth, round, made of solid wood, no larger than 2.61 inches in diameter, and no longer than 42 inches. These bats underwent proper approval processes before the 2025 season, with manufacturers working closely with league officials to ensure compliance.
The torpedo bat was developed by Aaron Leanhardt, an MIT-educated physicist who served as a Yankees hitting coordinator in 2023 before joining the Miami Marlins as field coordinator. Leanhardt created the design to help hitters keep up in an era dominated by elite pitching, applying physics principles to optimize bat performance.
Several notable MLB players have adopted torpedo bats, including Yankees players Anthony Volpe, Jazz Chisholm Jr., Cody Bellinger, Paul Goldschmidt, and Austin Wells. Giancarlo Stanton was an early adopter, using prototype models during the 2024 postseason. The Reds’ Elly De La Cruz and the Phillies’ Alec Bohm have also experimented with the design. Other teams exploring the technology include the Marlins, Rays, and Mets.
The primary advantage of torpedo bats is their optimized weight distribution that concentrates mass at the typical contact point. This design potentially increases exit velocity on well-hit balls, which can turn what might have been fly outs into home runs. The science behind it is comparable to finding the optimal balance between a sledgehammer (high impact but slow swing) and a broom handle (fast swing but low impact). Players like Anthony Volpe have noted the bat’s “bigger barrel where you hit the ball” improved their contact.
Torpedo bats create a trade-off: while hits off the sweet spot potentially gain exit velocity, mishits may be weaker than with traditional bats. Player reactions have been mixed – some report improved performance while others, like the Phillies’ Alec Bohm, felt it was “just like a normal bat” and suggested it might “run its course.” Some opponents have criticized the design, with Brewers reliever Trevor Megill comparing them to “something used in slow-pitch softball” after facing Yankees hitters using the bats.
