Major League Baseball has been taken over by the introduction of a new piece of hitting technology that's been dubbed the "torpedo bat." This bat sees the hardest and densest part of the bat moved down the barrel a bit to theorhetically increase barrels and decrease mishits. Typically, the bat is designed with a bit of a bigger barrel than a traditional bat as well, but all of the designs are well within the rules.
Despite being legal, the bat has become controversial among fans, players, and the media.
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What’s the controversy around torpedo bats?
The controversy around the bat is mainly because it's new and never really been seen before. And it's having quite a bit of success that we're not used to seeing from hitters in this era. The bat is within the rules, for now, but there's a chance the MLB looks into outlawing the new piece of technology as it becomes more and more mainstream.
Let's take a look at some of the opinions on the bat from voices around the league.
Aaron Leanhardt, Inventor of the torpedo bat
The inventor of the bat, Aaron Leanhardt, likely sounded crazy with his invention for a while, but now that it's catching on, the simple idea seems so genius.
"Credit to any of the players who were willing to listen to me, because it's crazy," Leanhardt said. "Listening to me describe it is sometimes even crazier. It's a long-running project, and I'm happy for the guys that bought into it."
With it becoming more mainstream by the day, it won't be long until most of the league is bought in to what he's selling.
Jazz Chisholm Jr., New York Yankees
New York Yankees infielder Jazz Chisholm Jr. has seemingly been the poster boy for the production that these bats can help induce. He doesn't think it's much different from a typical baseball bat.
"I mean, it still felt like my bat," Chisholm told reporters Sunday. "I hit the ball at the barrel, feel comfortable in the box. I don't know what else to tell you. I don't know the science of it, I'm just playing baseball."
Jeff Passan, MLB insider
MLB insider Jeff Passan recently noted that there's not enough research and sample size to show the true impact of the bat.
"Because the data -- on bat velocity as well as effectiveness -- is of such a limited sample, nobody is yet proclaiming that the bowling pin bat will unquestionably revolutionize the game," Passan wrote. "But more bowling pins will be showing up in major league games soon"
Before long, there will be a big enough sample size to indicate whether the bat is the key difference or if this is just baseball's new placebo effect.
Elly De La Cruz, Cincinnati Reds
Cincinnati Reds infielder Elly De La Cruz debuted the bat and smashed two home runs, a single, and a double in his first and only game using it so far.
“It feels good. It feels really good," De La Cruz said when asked about his first time using the bat.
I think it's safe to assume he's going to continue to use the torpedo bat going forward.
Anonymous front office source
While the bat is legal right now, there's a chance it could be banned in the future according to one anonymous front office source.
"I think they'll be banned," one front-office source told CBS Sports. "I think MLB will be compelled to establish a rule to prevent them from getting out of hand, and I think the interests of fairness will direct that rule to be something that more or less bans the torpedo design."
Banning the bat seems ridiculous. Pitchers are at such an advantage with all the technology at their fingertips, but the hitters don't have much at all to work with.
Trevor Megill, Milwaukee Brewers
Not everybody has a favorable opinion on the topic.
“I think it’s terrible,’’ Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Trevor Megill told The New York Post. “We’ll see what the data says. I’ve never seen anything like it before. I feel like it’s something used in slo-pitch softball. It’s genius: Put the mass all in one spot. It might be bush [league]. It might not be. But it’s the Yankees, so they’ll let it slide.”
Considering the Yankees hung 20 runs on the Brewers and Megill's pitching staff, it's safe to assume he was going to be a bit bitter about it.
Ryan Jeffers, Minnesota Twins
Minnesota Twins catcher Ryan Jeffers was one of the first players to adapt to the new-style bat.
"The bat is such a unique tool," Jeffers said. "You look at the history of the game, and they used to swing telephone poles. Now you try to optimize it, and it feels like some branches are starting to fall for us on the hitting side of things."
Hitting hasn't developed at the same rate as pitching, but the introduction of this new technology could be a sign that hitters will soon be catching up.
Aaron Judge, New York Yankees
Aaron Judge was asked why he hadn't given the torpedo bat a try. He had a pretty simple answer.
“What I’ve done the past couple of seasons speaks for itself," Judge said.
Of all players in the league, Judge is the only one who can refuse to adapt like this and be perfectly fine. If I was Judge, I wouldn't change a single thing from what I've been doing.
Pete Alonso, New York Mets
Some around baseball aren't ready to give the bat all the credit. New York Mets slugger Pete Alonso is one of those players.
“The Yankees had an offensive explosion, and they are a very talented offense and that can happen even if some of the guys weren’t using the torpedo bat,” Alonso said. “That is a talented lineup and that is what happens when you get a bunch of guys hitting balls over the middle of the plate. … I’ll probably order some and try them out, but I think it’s the Indian and not the arrow.”
While the bat likely isn't an end all, be all solution to issues, the new piece of technology could help improve hitting as a whole. While it's not completely the Indian or completely the arrow, the real solution likely lies somewhere in the middle.
Spencer Jones, New York Yankees
Big leaguers aren't the only ones using this new piece of technology. It's already had the trickledown effect in the Yankees' system.
“They showed me that my bat barrel was like 20th percentile in barrel size. Why am I using a bat with a tiny barrel when I can maximize that? It’s obvious for me to start using a bigger barrel," Spencer Jones said via senior writer Matt Kardos.
The main thing this new bat has shown the league is that most hitters are using bats with barrels much smaller than the maximum sized barrel. The torpedo bat will likely continue to evolve with more time.
Juan Soto, New York Mets
Juan Soto knew about the bat last year, but opted not to use it. He's seemingly a bit more open to the idea this year.
“I had teammates last year [with the Yankees] that asked me if I wanted to try it, but it never caught my attention,” Soto said. “But, yeah, I would try it.”
If Soto ever puts a torpedo bat in his hands, it'll likely be a big story to follow.