The New York Yankees are already the talk of the 2025 MLB season. Following an offensive explosion — in which the team hit 15 home runs and scored 36 runs in just three games — questions emerged about the unusual bats used by many of the team’s hitters.
Torpedo bats are all the rage across the league, and opinions on the bats are split. Some players are ready to experiment with the torpedo bats. Others are quick to call them a scourge. Fans — well, non-Yankees fans, at least — are furious about the development.
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Those who are using torpedo bats, as you might have guessed, speak highly of them. What differentiates a torpedo bat from a standard bat is the shape. A torpedo bat features a thicker sweet spot — or barrel — before thinning out near the top of the bat. The shape resembles a bowling pin. While torpedo bats look different, they are legal under MLB rules.
MIT physicist Aaron Leanhardt has been credited for creating the torpedo bats. Leanhardt previously served as a hitting analyst with the Yankees before joining the Miami Marlins as a field coordinator in the offseason.
The idea came about after the team studied Yankees shortstop Anthony Volpe’s swing data. Analysis showed Volpe was often making contact near the label of the bat, which is closer to the thin end of a standard bat. In an effort to help Volpe, the team had bats made that moved more of the wood closer to the label so Volpe would make better, stronger contact on his swing, as Yankees broadcaster Michael Kay explained during Saturday’s game.
Yankees infielder Jazz Chisholm Jr. gave his insight into the torpedo bats, saying the goal is to move wood around to where a player makes contact at higher rates.
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Volpe, and a handful of his teammates, are among the players using a torpedo bat in 2025, but the Yankees aren’t the only club experimenting with the different bat shape.
Below is a full list of the known players using torpedo bats this season:
- Adley Rutschman, C, Baltimore Orioles
- Dansby Swanson, SS, Chicago Cubs
- Nico Hoerner, 2B, Chicago Cubs
- Ryan Jeffers, C, Minnesota Twins
- Cody Bellinger, OF, New York Yankees
- Jazz Chisholm Jr., 2B, New York Yankees
- Paul Goldschmidt, 1B, New York Yankees
- Anthony Volpe, SS, New York Yankees
- Austin Wells, C, New York Yankees
- Junior Caminero, 3B, Tampa Bay Rays
- Davis Schneider, OF, Toronto Blue Jays
While the Yankees’ usage were known, a number of players on other teams have used torpedo bats in 2025. Orioles catcher Adley Rutcshman is a confirmed torpedo bat user. Both Blue Jays outfielder Davis Schneider and Twins catcher Ryan Jeffers were photographed using torpedo bats during the first three games of the season. Rays young standout Junior Caminero also used a torpedo bat early this season. The Cubs were among the teams to tinker with torpedo bats last season, Bellinger revealed, and it appears both Dansby Swanson and Nico Hoerner are among the Cubs hitters using the torpedo bats in 2025.
The list is unlikely to stop there. Schneider’s teammate, Ernie Clement already said he might experiment with using a torpedo bat during games. San Diego Padres third baseman Manny Machado seemed interested in getting a shipment of the bats sent to the Padres. Milwaukee Brewers first baseman Rhys Hoskins confirmed he already ordered a shipment and was waiting for them to arrive.
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Opinions are torn on whether the torpedo bats are the reason for the Yankees’ early-season success. The five Yankees players who used torpedo bats against the Milwaukee Brewers performed extremely well, hitting a combined nine home runs over the first three games.
Notably, Aaron Judge — who does not use a torpedo bat — belted four home runs over those contests.
Whether the Yankees’ success was due to their bats or a combination of their small ballpark and the Brewers’ poor pitching remains to be seen. But MLB fans should have an answer soon. After New York’s offensive explosion to open the season, you can expect to see torpedo bats making their way around all 30 clubhouses before long.
