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Baseball fans, get ready to familiarize yourselves with “torpedo bats.”
The New York Yankees have caused a flurry of controversy to start the 2025 MLB season. During the first three games of the season, the Yankees have launched an astonishing 15 home runs, including a franchise-record nine in a single game during a 20-9 rout of the Milwaukee Brewers on Saturday. While the team earned praise for the revamped offensive lineup, it also ignited a major debate surrounding their use of newly designed “torpedo bats,” which some critics argue provide an unfair advantage.
But, according to the MLB rules, the bats are perfectly legal.
A Record-Setting Onslaught
The fireworks began on Saturday when the Yankees greeted former teammate Nestor Cortes — now pitching for the Brewers — with back-to-back-to-back home runs on his first three pitches of the game. Paul Goldschmidt, Cody Bellinger, and reigning MVP Aaron Judge hit early bombs, and catcher Austin Wells added a fourth homer in the opening frame. The onslaught continued with Judge delivering a grand slam in the third inning and a solo shot in the fourth, finishing the day 4-for-6 with three homers, eight RBI, and 14 total bases. Jazz Chisholm Jr., Anthony Volpe, Oswald Peraza, and others also joined the party, pushing the team total to nine homers — a mark previously reached only by the Cincinnati Reds in 1999, when current Yankees manager Aaron Boone was among the contributors.
Sunday’s game saw no letup, as the Yankees added four more home runs in a 12-3 victory over the Brewers. Judge kicked things off with a two-run blast in the first, becoming the first Yankee to hit four homers in the team’s opening three games of a season. Others kept the pressure on, tying an MLB record for 15 home runs across the first three games of a season.
Yet, amid the offensive dominance, the Yankees’ defense faltered on Saturday, committing five errors in the first five innings. Starter Max Fried, in his Yankees debut after signing a $218 million deal, struggled through four innings, allowing six runs (two earned) while contributing an error himself.
Fortunately for New York, its new bats rendered these miscues irrelevant.
What Is A Torpedo Bat?
Unlike traditional baseball bats, which typically have a uniform or gradually tapered barrel, torpedo bats have a unique shape. The Yankee analytical team concentrated more wood in the area of the bat where the label is, producing maximum power and distance when striking the ball. This design results in a bat that resembles a bowling pin or torpedo, with a thicker, more massive section near the point of contact and a narrower end.
Players have begun to weigh in on their opinion of the bat.
New York Yankees shortstop Anthony Volpe said:
“I know I’m bought in. The bigger you can have the barrel where you hit the ball, it makes sense to me.”
San Diego Padres star Manny Machado said:
“I have no idea what they are. They should send a few over here if they’re gonna be hitting homers like that.”
Trevor Megill, reliever for the Milwaukee Brewers, said:
“I think it’s terrible. We’ll see what the data says. I’ve never seen anything like it before. I feel like it’s something used in slow-pitch softball. It’s genius: Put the mass all in one spot. It’s the Yankees, so they’ll let it slide.”
