Just a few games into the 2025 MLB season we already saw controversy around the league. No, it’s not steroids or a dead ball or even banging on a trash can. This year, the early controversy across the MLB is the emergence of the Torpedo Bat. The bat made headlines in the Opening Day series between the New York Yankees and the Milwaukee Brewers. The Yankees teed off for 36 runs in three games against the Brewers including a 20-run effort where the Bronx Bombers tied an MLB record with nine home runs in the same game.
So is the Torpedo Bat a technology that will change the game of baseball forever? Or just a passing fad that still requires the batter to have incredible hand-eye coordination to be successful? If you’ve been wondering about the MLB’s Torpedo Bat, this article will tell you everything you need to know about the piece of equipment taking the league by storm.
What are MLB Torpedo Bats?
MLB Torpedo Bats aren’t a new technology. Bat manufacturers have been working with physicists to design a bat that boosts the exit velocity of baseballs. The result was a baseball bat that sort of resembled a bowling pin. More wood was placed around the barrel of the bat where batters are more likely to make contact with the ball. The perceived outcome is that when the batter is able to get that fatter barrel on the baseball, it will improve the chances of a home run or at the very least a hard-hit ball.
Louisville Slugger is the primary maker of torpedo bats which have been used as early as 2021. Despite introducing the model to most MLB teams as recently as last season, uptake of the Torpedo Bat was minimal. The Torpedo Bat can also be customized for each individual player. The barrel can be moved up or down the bat depending on where the player usually makes contact with the ball.
Which MLB Teams Use the Torpedo Bats?
The New York Yankees made the Torpedo Bats famous this season, but their players are not the only ones utilizing the new offensive weapons. Players from ten MLB teams are using the Torpedo Bats this season, and there should be plenty of others who will begin using them soon. These players include superstars like Francisco Lindor of the New York Mets, Elly De La Cruz of the Cincinnati Reds, and Adley Rutschman of the Baltimore Orioles.
The Yankees have five players currently using the Torpedo Bats and it would be six if Giancarlo Stanton were in the lineup. Reigning American League MVP Aaron Judge is one of the few Yankees who is not using one and he has already stated that he would not make the switch. As of now, Cody Bellinger, Jazz Chisholm Jr., Paul Goldschmidt, Anthony Volpe, and Austin Wells are all using the new bat. Volpe is an interesting case because the Yankees’ analytics team identified where he was making the most contact on his bat: the label rather than the barrel. Volpe’s Torpedo Bat has moved a bulk of the mass to the label and early results have been fascinating. Through the first eight games of the season, Volpe had ten hits, four home runs, and 12 RBI.
How are Torpedo Bats Legal in the MLB?
Given how strict the MLB is about equipment and its rules, the first thing most people ask is if the Torpedo Bats are legal. The answer is emphatically yes. The MLB has clearly stated that the Torpedo Bats fall within the regulations of a 2.61-inch maximum diameter for player’s bats. The rules do not clarify where on the bat this diameter needs to appear.
This is exactly where the Torpedo Bat is able to skirt the rules and add extra mass to the right areas depending on the player. What makes regulating the Torpedo Bats even more difficult is that each one is different as they are customized for each player’s swing. Therefore, it would be nearly impossible to implement one regulation that covers every Torpedo Bat in the league.
Are MLB Torpedo Bats Improving the Offence This Season?
The truth is, it’s way too small of a sample size to determine if the Torpedo Bats have impacted the offensive output this year. After only about eight games for most teams, it’s hard to see any discernible pattern.
One thing to note about this small sample size is how well the Yankees are doing. The team leads the MLB in home runs and RBI and has a staggering OPS of 1.012 which is easily the highest in the league. Given that the Yankees have five hitters using the Torpedo Bats, plus Aaron Judge, so we can at least say that in this small sample size, one team’s offensive output is benefiting.
Are MLB Torpedo Bats Here to Stay?
It appears that MLB Torpedo Bats are here to stay now, although the jury is out on how effective they are in improving a batter’s output. Following the impressive offensive output by the Yankees in the first week of the season, it’s been reported that orders for Torpedo Bats are through the roof. Executives at Louisville Slugger have said that more than 1,500 orders have been placed for the new style of bat.
Could we see mass adoption across the MLB? It appears that many players are waiting for a larger sample size of data before making the switch. For now, the narrative behind MLB Torpedo Bats is that they help batters overcome inefficiencies in where they are making contact with the ball. Let’s see what the narrative around the Topedo Bats is by the end of the season.
Torpedo Bats FAQs
Yes, as of April 2025, the torpedo bats are considered legal pieces of equipment by the MLB. The maximum diameter for MLB bats is 2.61 inches but it does not specify where on the bat this maximum diameter has to be.
As of April 2025, players from ten different MLB teams are using the torpedo bat. These include five players from the New York Yankees and stars like Francisco Lindor of the New York Mets and Elly De La Cruz of the Cincinnati Reds.
No, not all of the New York Yankees are using the new torpedo bat although it is the team with the most users, Paul Goldschmidt, Cody Bellinger, Jazz Chisholm Jr., Austin Wells, and Anthony Volpe are all using the new bat, as is the injured Giancarlo Stanton.
