Torpedo Bats Are Changing Baseball

A new kind of baseball bat may be helping hitters knock the ball out of the park.

Anthony Volpe of the New York Yankees uses a torpedo bat to hit a home run in the ninth inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks.

A new kind of baseball bat has taken Major League Baseball by storm. But is the “torpedo bat” worthy of all the hype?

The torpedo bat was developed after scientists employed by the New York Yankees did a study to find out how to increase the speed at which the ball travels after it’s been batted. The scientists noticed that batters were hitting the ball with a lower part of the bat than expected. This led to the invention of the torpedo bat.

On the torpedo bat, the mass of the bat is lower down—closer to the “sweet spot,” where batters usually hit the ball. The goal is to pack the power of the bat into the sweet spot for maximum impact on the ball.

The torpedo bat was made available to Major League Baseball teams last season, but few players showed much interest in trying out a new bat design. Then, in March 2025, the Yankees hit nine home runs in three games using torpedo bats. When Yankees announcer Michael Kay pointed out the new bats, everyone paid attention.

Since then, baseball bat manufacturers have received tons of orders for torpedo bats from MLB teams as well as the public. In professional baseball, pitchers have been improving their performance for years, making it harder for batters to hit the ball. The torpedo bat may give batters a chance to catch up.

Cody Bellinger of the New York Yankees holds a torpedo bat during batting practice on March 27, 2025.

“The benefit for me is, I like the weight distribution,” Yankees outfielder Cody Bellinger told MLB.com. “Personally, the weight is closer to my hands, so I feel as if [the bat] is lighter in a way.”

Not everyone is convinced that the torpedo bat actually helps batters. Some, like Anthony Volpe of the Yankees, say it might be a placebo effect. A placebo effect occurs when a method or remedy works because the person believes it works—not because the remedy itself really does anything. Still, Volpe uses a torpedo bat.

“It’s probably just a placebo,” Volpe told MLB.com. “A lot of it is just looking up at your bat and seeing how big the barrel is, but it’s exciting. I think [anything that] gives you confidence, it helps.”

It’s also possible that the torpedo bat is not a placebo but the real deal. If that’s true, baseball fans might start to see a lot more home runs.

Did You Know?

An MLB baseball batter has less than half a second to react to a pitch. In that short time, the batter needs to determine the type of pitch and whether to swing or not.

Pick Up a Good Book!

Summer’s almost here! Whatever you plan to do with your break, there’s always time for a good book. As the weather warms up, slow down with one of these reading recommendations. You can find them at your public library!

It’s the End of the World and I’m in My Bathing Suit, by Justin A. Reynolds

When Eddie’s mom makes him miss a day of fun to do laundry, he thinks things can’t get any worse. But when he ventures out in his swim trunks, his neighborhood seems oddly quiet, as if everyone has disappeared.

Courtesy of Scholastic Press

Courtesy of Macmillan Publishers

What Is Color?, by Steven Weinberg

Why are bananas yellow while most leaves are green? What’s a rainbow? This nonfiction book breaks down how colors are made—in nature and by humans—and what different colors have meant throughout history.

The Bletchley Riddle, by Ruta Sepetys and Steve Sheinkin

It’s 1940. World War II has broken out, and two puzzle-loving siblings are put to the task of solving two big mysteries. One, the location of their mother, who has disappeared. And two, how to crack the coded messaging system put in place by the Nazis, who are rapidly taking over Europe.

Courtesy of Penguin Random House

Courtesy of Macmillan Publishers

Wishtree, by Katherine Applegate

An oak tree called Red is the neighborhood “wish tree”—a tree to which people attach their wishes in the hopes they’ll come true. Red is pleased when Samar and his family move into the neighborhood, but not everyone is so welcoming.

Want more recommendations? Ask your teacher or another adult to check out Britannica’s Sun-sational Summer Reading for a bigger book list, plus bookmarks, puzzles, and more!

Home Run King

Babe Ruth, who played for the New York Yankees, during batting practice in 1927.

In the 1920s, Babe Ruth was a baseball superstar. Ruth was so talented that some of the records he set still stand today. You can read more about Babe Ruth, or follow the link to the article about baseball, at Britannica!

Word of the Day

slugger

Part of speech:

noun

Definition:

baseball : a batter who hits many home runs

Definitions provided by

Play

Criss Cross

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