The 15 home runs by the New York Yankees in their first three games of the 2025 season equaled the most in Major League history set by the Detroit Tigers in 2006.
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In a single game, the “Bronx Bombers” hit a team record of nine home runs that traveled a total of 3,695 feet on Saturday in the 20-7 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers. Paul Goldschmidt, Cody Bellinger, Austin Wells, Anthony Volpe, and Jazz Chisholm Jr. all hit home runs using a “torpedo” bat.
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What is the “torpedo” bat that the Yankees have been using?
For the MIT physicist behind the revolutionary bat, it’s more about the players’ talent at the plate than his invention.
The “torpedo” model, a striking design in which the wood moves further down the barrel after the label and shapes the end somewhat like a bowling pin, became the talk of the town in Major Leagues and in the sport of the United States.
“At the end of the day, it’s about the batter, not the bat,” said Aaron Leanhardt, a former physics professor at the University of Michigan credited with the design. “It’s about the batter and their hitting coaches. I’m happy to always help those guys improve a little, but ultimately, it’s up to them to make good swings and put in the effort every day. So the credit goes to those guys.”
Leanhardt, 48, field coordinator for the Miami Marlins, said that the origin of the bat dates back to 2023, when he was working for the Yankees. He commented that several versions were tested that did not create the desired effect.
The former teacher talked to Major League and Minor League baseball players at the beginning of the design stage, seeking information about the bats.
“I will let the players always speak about their own experiences. I’m not going to drag anyone into this,” Leanhardt said on Monday. “But there were definitely guys on the Major League side and on the minor league side in 2023 who were asking me questions and offering design advice and testing them.”
Leanhardt said that the last days had been “surreal.”
“The industry as a whole was probably a little more aware of this than maybe you were,” Leanhardt said to a group of journalists.
The bat is not for everyone
The bat manufacturer Victus Sports left a batch of “torpedo” bats for the Phillies just before the first pitch of their home opener on Monday. Alec Bohm took one, took about five swings, and decided to use it. His logic seems solid: look at how it helped the Yankees.
“You see a team hit 20 home runs and you’re going to try it,” Bohm said. But it didn’t work for him: he only managed a single with his new bat. He mentioned that he “felt like a regular bat” and wasn’t sure if he would use a “torpedo” again soon.
Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Christian Yelich said he didn’t feel like the bats had any effect on his opening series against the Yankees. “I think they have a lot of really good players. That’s probably the biggest factor in how that went,” he said.
Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said that Puerto Rican shortstop Francisco Lindor used a similar bat in his series in Houston.
“Nothing new for us,” said Mendoza. “This is something that every team, every player continues to look for an advantage and find ways to improve within the margins. And this is a perfect example.”