Yankee's using new style torpedo bat this year.

[umphrey]

Yeah the counter to this is definitely to just pitch outside. If the batter isn't a big power guy I don't think you will ever give up a HR if you stay outer 3rd of the zone against a torpedo bat. 

[Playing Catch]

57 minutes ago, umphrey said:

Yeah the counter to this is definitely to just pitch outside. If the batter isn't a big power guy I don't think you will ever give up a HR if you stay outer 3rd of the zone against a torpedo bat. 

This is how I'm thinking, too. The end of the bat will be detrimental to the hitter. less wood, less area to foul balls off. I'm guessing the end of the bat will shatter like the trademark.

[pitchleague]

Were the Yankees using these in spring training games and, if so, where was the outcry then?  Or did they just use them privately in camp and just now broke them out to the public?

 

 

[SeaBass]

If it's legal I have zero issue with it. Fair game for everyone. As with everything the league will adjust.

[Brian]

Elly De La Cruz cranks 2 HRs, posts 7 RBI, all while using a 'torpedo bat' for the first time.

436 FT and 110.2 MPH off the bat!  While Brewers are asleep at the wheel. 

[Playing Catch]

I predict that this phenomenon will end up being no big deal.

My guess is that these bats will end up benefitting players that are willing to sacrifice opposite field power for the ability to turn on an inside pitch.

[owbc]

Statcast suggests the torpedo bats add 1-2 mph to bat speed. That’s a huge improvement. Everybody is going to be using these soon.

Pitchers will surely respond but the potential impact to offense of nearly everybody in baseball gaining nearly a standard deviation worth of bat speed would be unbelievable. 
 

Imagine if it was the other way and all pitchers suddenly threw 1 mph faster. 

[Samurai Bucky]

Gee... I guess the Royals must have torpedo bats.  

If the Brewers give up another double-digit performance today, I'm going to side on the fact that it is more about the Brewers AAA pitching roster than it is about torpedo bats.

[Matt]

2 hours ago, owbc said:

Imagine if it was the other way and all pitchers suddenly threw 1 mph faster. 

They have, and more. It's the Driveline effect. 

[owbc]

25 minutes ago, Matt said:

They have, and more. It's the Driveline effect. 

Right, so if everyone adds 2 mph to their bat speed it is going to have a massive impact similar to how Driveline has changed MLB. 
 

Unclear of whether this can be countered with outside pitches. Bat is more narrow on the end but bat velocity is higher so it will be easier to catch up to those pitches. You also can’t pitch exclusively on one half of the plate without getting into trouble, especially since the hitters have more time to react with the new bats. 

[Brock Beauchamp]

Here is a good piece on Twins Daily about them.

Bombs Away: Torpedo Bats are Taking Over Major League Baseball - Twins - Twins Daily

TWINSDAILY.COM

---

Coming out of left field, torpedo bats are all the rage right now. The bowling pin-shaped bat is a shift from tradition, and is being credited with producing more power. Is the hype real? Who on...

 

[Playing Catch]

21 hours ago, Playing Catch said:

I predict that this phenomenon will end up being no big deal.

My guess is that these bats will end up benefitting players that are willing to sacrifice opposite field power for the ability to turn on an inside pitch.

I'm walking back what I said yesterday. I think this phenomenon WILL be a big deal, but that it will enhance the game for everyone, including fans.

I think that one of two things may happen.

(A) - hitters like Brice Turang or Sal Frelick, who don't need to maximize power to the opposite field will benefit, and some selection of hitters will use the bat all the time. This wouldn't fundamentally change how fans watch a game, but it would help to make singles hitters more relevant.

OR

(B) - many hitters use the bat situationally, perhaps depending on pitcher's throwing hand? I imagine Elly De La Cruz use the bat as a right-handed hitter, or maybe Willy Adames will betray his hitting strategy with a guy on 3rd and less than two outs by selecting the long iron rather than his usual driver. Baseball could dramatize this by highlighting which bat the player selects coming out of the dugout.

 

Please note that I am making some assumptions about the physics of the bat. I am assuming that the reduced angular velocity of the sweet spot being moved inside will not be mitigated significantly by the increase in bat speed. In my head, the bat is merely trading some opposite field power for more pull power for guys that struggle getting the head around inside pitches.

[Playing Catch]

This bulleted quote from the article was made abundantly clear watching MLB Network yesterday...

"The industry was more aware of players trending toward using these bats than the media and general public were; this didn't sneak up on teams or players."

All day long MLB Network's personalities were all over these bats, interviewing bat manufacturers, hitting instructors, physics professors. I think they were universally in favor of them. I suspect that the league wanted to get ahead of traditionalist baseball fans getting upset about the change. Mark DeRosa and Harold Reynolds said they probably would've used these bats their whole career.

I suspect this bat will improve barrel-rate for many hitters. But I would also suspect that it could reduce power for power hitters. I could be very wrong about all of my assumuptions, but I would imagine that a guy like Chourio would NOT use this bat. He's got such excellent plate coverage. I wouldn't want him to sap any opposite-field power in exchange for pull power (if my hypothesis is correct and that that's what happens with these bats).

[wntrtxn21]

3 hours ago, Playing Catch said:

I'm walking back what I said yesterday. I think this phenomenon WILL be a big deal, but that it will enhance the game for everyone, including fans.

I think that one of two things may happen.

(A) - hitters like Brice Turang or Sal Frelick, who don't need to maximize power to the opposite field will benefit, and some selection of hitters will use the bat all the time. This wouldn't fundamentally change how fans watch a game, but it would help to make singles hitters more relevant.

OR

(B) - many hitters use the bat situationally, perhaps depending on pitcher's throwing hand? I imagine Elly De La Cruz use the bat as a right-handed hitter, or maybe Willy Adames will betray his hitting strategy with a guy on 3rd and less than two outs by selecting the long iron rather than his usual driver. Baseball could dramatize this by highlighting which bat the player selects coming out of the dugout.

 

Please note that I am making some assumptions about the physics of the bat. I am assuming that the reduced angular velocity of the sweet spot being moved inside will not be mitigated significantly by the increase in bat speed. In my head, the bat is merely trading some opposite field power for more pull power for guys that struggle getting the head around inside pitches.

This looks like a different take on cupping the bat. Cupping the bat top does the same type thing. Increases swing speed and puts more density at the sweet spot. The torpedo effect allows for an even bigger lessening of the bat top.

[Frisbee Slider]

Diamondbacks going for sweep in New York today.

[Brock Beauchamp]

On 4/2/2025 at 7:49 AM, Playing Catch said:

This bulleted quote from the article was made abundantly clear watching MLB Network yesterday...

"The industry was more aware of players trending toward using these bats than the media and general public were; this didn't sneak up on teams or players."

All day long MLB Network's personalities were all over these bats, interviewing bat manufacturers, hitting instructors, physics professors. I think they were universally in favor of them. I suspect that the league wanted to get ahead of traditionalist baseball fans getting upset about the change. Mark DeRosa and Harold Reynolds said they probably would've used these bats their whole career.

I suspect this bat will improve barrel-rate for many hitters. But I would also suspect that it could reduce power for power hitters. I could be very wrong about all of my assumuptions, but I would imagine that a guy like Chourio would NOT use this bat. He's got such excellent plate coverage. I wouldn't want him to sap any opposite-field power in exchange for pull power (if my hypothesis is correct and that that's what happens with these bats).

Good take all around, I agree. This bat should profile better for certain kinds of hitters and potentially hurt others.