Introduction to the Torpedo Bat

The Bronx Bombers now have torpedoes in their arsenal. The New York Yankees officially launched the "torpedo bat" era over the weekend — with multiple players using a modified baseball bat during the team’s historic offensive onslaught in its opening series of the 2025 season.

The wood of the bat is shifted from the barrel towards the batter’s hands to create a custom sweet spot where contact is most frequently made. The reconfiguration gives the bat the shape of a torpedo — or a bowling pin, which doesn’t sound nearly as menacing or apropos.
Because the Yankees hit bombs with them.
Nine of their MLB record-tying 15 home runs hit in their first three games were used by five players using torpedo bats, including six of a franchise-record nine homers in Saturday’s 20-9 rout over the Milwaukee Brewers.

What is a Torpedo Bat?

The torpedo bat is a custom-shaped baseball bat with a modified barrel that’s tailored to maximize the contact tendencies of the batter.
Wood is shifted from the end of the barrel to a location closer to the hands, making the bat widest at the spot where the batter most often makes contact with the ball.
That reshaping and relocation of the sweet spot gives the bat the appearance of a torpedo.
Mike Stobe/Getty Images
The torpedo bat belonging to Jazz Chisholm Jr. of the New York Yankees. (Photo by Mike Stobe/Getty Images)

Who Invented the Torpedo Bat?

Much of the recent credit for the implementation of the torpedo bat has gone to Aaron Leanhardt, a former Yankees front-office staffer who is now the Miami Marlins’ field coordinator.
Leanhardt, a former physicist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, said the idea developed in 2022 while he was working with the Yankees’ minor-league hitting department.
The 48-year-old Leanhardt, who holds a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from the University of Michigan and a Ph.D. in physics from MIT, previously coached baseball in the Atlantic League and at a Montana community college, per The Athletic.
“Really, it’s just about making the bat as heavy and as fat as possible in the area where you’re trying to do damage on the baseball,” he told The Athletic.

Who Makes the Torpedo Bat?

The Yankees requested sample models of the torpedo style from some of MLB’s 41 approved bat manufacturers, according to ESPN.
The model numbers for the spec bats started with “BP” for bowling pin, a more accurate comp for the bat’s new shape.
"Torpedo sounds kind of cooler," Leanhardt told ESPN.
Louisville Slugger said four teams have requested torpedo style bats from the company over the past 18 months.
"Teams are analyzing every single at bat by every player, then charting the part of the bat where each player is making contact with the ball," the company said Monday in a statement.

What is MLB’s Bat Rule?

The torpedo bats do not violate MLB’s rules, which state under 3.02: “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.”
It goes on to state there may be a cupped indentation up to 1 1/4 inches in depth, 2 inches wide and with at least a 1-inch diameter, and experimental models must be approved by MLB.

When was a Torpedo Bat First Used?

Giancarlo Stanton might be remembered as the player who officially launched MLB’s first torpedo.
Multiple players, including Volpe, experimented with the torpedo bat last season.
But it was Stanton who used one to hit seven home runs in 14 postseason games during the Yankees’ run to the 2024 World Series, per ESPN.
Following that success, torpedo bat models were made available to members of the Yankees during spring training.

Which Teams Use Torpedo Bats?

The Yankees aren’t the only team using torpedo bats.
Ryan Jeffers of the Minnesota Twins and the Rays’ Junior Caminero and Yandy Díaz used them in Spring Training and during the opening weekend of the regular season, per ESPN.
Davis Schneider of the Toronto Blue Jays uses one.
MLB.com reported that members of the Baltimore Orioles have experimented with them.
As did the Boston Red Sox and Chicago Cubs in spring training, according to the New York Times.

Conclusion

The use of torpedo bats has sparked controversy in the baseball world, with some players and teams viewing them as an unfair advantage.
However, the bats are currently legal under MLB’s rules, and it remains to be seen how the league will respond to the growing trend.
As the season progresses, it will be interesting to see how the use of torpedo bats affects the game and whether other teams will adopt the technology.

FAQs

Q: What is a torpedo bat?
A: A torpedo bat is a custom-shaped baseball bat with a modified barrel that’s tailored to maximize the contact tendencies of the batter.
Q: Who invented the torpedo bat?
A: Aaron Leanhardt, a former Yankees front-office staffer and current Miami Marlins’ field coordinator, is credited with developing the idea for the torpedo bat.
Q: Are torpedo bats legal in MLB?
A: Yes, torpedo bats are currently legal under MLB’s rules, which state that 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.
Q: Which teams use torpedo bats?
A: The New York Yankees, Minnesota Twins, Tampa Bay Rays, Toronto Blue Jays, Baltimore Orioles, Boston Red Sox, and Chicago Cubs have all used or experimented with torpedo bats.