The New York Yankees showcased their new torpedo bats against the Milwaukee Brewers, hitting 9 home runs during the game. The Yankees have tied the MLB record with 15 home runs in their first three games of the season.
These new torpedo bats features the wood moved lower down the barrel after the label and the end shaped a little like a bowling pin. Although, it may seem like these new bats give the Yankees an unfair advantage, they are completely legal.
The MLB has fairly simple bat rules, stating, “[t]he 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.”
Aaron Judge, who hit an AL-record 62 homers in 2022 and 58 last year, chose not to use the new bats. Judge said, “[t]he past couple of seasons kind of speak for itself…[w]hy try to change something?”
Paul Goldschmidt, Cody Bellinger, Austin Wells, Anthony Volpe and Jazz Chisholm Jr. were the players who chose to use these new torpedo bats. It turned out to be successful for them, as they all homered in their win over the Brewers.
“I love my bat,” Chisholm said with a slight laugh. “I think you can tell. It doesn’t feel like a different bat. It just helps you in a real way I guess.”
“That’s just trying to be the best we can be,” manager Aaron Boone said Sunday. “That’s one of the things that’s gotten pointed out. I say to you guys all the time, we’re trying to win on the margins and that shows up in so many different ways.”