One of the biggest storylines of the 2025 season thus far has been the use of the new torpedo bats by several players around the league.
The New York Yankees made headlines during Opening Week when five players homered with the bowling pin-shaped bat in their 20-9 win over the Milwaukee Brewers.
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The torpedo bat is designed so that players can do the most damage when making contact with the untraditional barrel.
There has been some opposition to the bats, but MLB commissioner Rob Manfred believes they are a positive development for the sport, via Michael S. Schmidt of The New York Times:
“They’re absolutely good for baseball. I believe that issues like the torpedo bat and the debate around it demonstrate the fact that baseball still occupies a unique place in our culture, because people get into a complete frenzy over something that’s really nothing at the end of the day. The bats comply with the rules. Players have actually been moving the sweet spot around in bats for years. But it just demonstrates that something about the game is more important than is captured by television ratings or revenue or any of those things, when you have the discussions and debates about it.”
Amid a rise in the use of torpedo bats, a league spokesperson confirmed that the unusual lumber design does not break any MLB rules.
Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts recently discussed the torpedo bat craze and is not surprised teams are still finding new ways to improve.
“I wouldn’t say totally surprising,” Roberts began. “I guess it’s surprising in one sense where baseball is very tradition-driven. But I do think that trying to figure out any competitive advantage, maximize something, a product, is not a bad thing.
“And so certainly nowadays, there’s a lot more open-minded players if it gives them a chance to perform better.”
Max Muncy evaluating potential use of torpedo bat
Max Muncy became the first Dodgers player to use the torpedo bat in a game against the Atlanta Braves last week but did not achieve positive results.
He went 0-for-3 with the new bat design before switching to his regular lumber for what wound up being a game-tying two-run double in the eighth inning.
“Started with that bat, I felt good, swing felt good, but I during the at-bat I felt like the bat was causing me to be a little bit off plane, and a little in and out of the zone,” Muncy said of the torpedo bat.
“My swings felt good, but just a little bit off. So my last at-bat I decided to just go back to my regular bat. I was able to get a good swing on the pitch.”
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