A Yankees star used a ‘torpedo bat’ when he torched Royals last year in playoffs
The New York Yankees had a big opening weekend of the 2025 season.
The Yankees scored 36 runs in their three-games series against the Brewers over the weekend and, more importantly, introduced the world to the “torpedo bat.”
The “torpedo bat” is the biggest story in the first week of the MLB season, and it came to light after the Yankees hit nine home runs Saturday in a game against Milwaukee. An ESPN story noted the bats have an elongated the barrel (the fat part of the bat that generates the hardest and most contact) and resemble a bowling pin or torpedo.
Aaron Leanhardt helped develop the bats when he was an analyst for the Yankees. He’s now a Miami Marlins coach and talked to reporters about the creation of the bats, which he says dates to 2023.
“A lot of players have used them over the years, and they don’t necessarily want to draw attention to themselves, and it’s not really my business to draw attention to it either,” Leanhardt said. “I respond to any players’ request whoever they are and definitely help them with whatever needs they have, whether it’s equipment needs or data analytics, training, anything like that.
“So it’s just one of those things where if players want to discuss something publicly, they can, if you just want to ask him about it, you can.”
Someone did ask a player about the bats: Yankees’ outfielder Giancarlo Stanton.
Former Royals pitcher Brett Laxton, who is now a bat craftsman for Marucci Sports, noted that Stanton had used a “torpedo bat” in the playoffs last year.
Stanton torched the Royals in the American League Division Series, which the Yankees won three games to one. He led New York in batting average (.375), OPS (1.132), doubles (two) and hit one of the Yankees’ three homers in the series.
This homer won Game 3 for the Yankees.
While talking with reporters, Stanton said Tuesday he wasn’t sure the bat made that big of a difference.
“I don’t know what the numbers say,” Stanton said, per MLB.com, “but it’s not like it was unreal all of a sudden for me.”
Stanton talked about what he liked about the “torpedo bat.”
“To explain simply, you try it as long as it’s comfortable in your hands,” Stanton said. “We’re creatures of habit, so that’s got to feel kind of like a glove or an extension of your arm. So as long as the balance points and all that are good, you’ve got to mess around with it and play with how big or small you want the barrel.”
This story was originally published April 3, 2025 at 9:48 AM.
