The New York Yankees have come out swinging — literally — tying the MLB record with 15 home runs through their first three games of the 2025 season. While the power surge has excited fans and stunned opponents, there’s more behind it than just raw talent. A new kind of bat, born from physics and analytics, is helping transform the way hitters approach the game.
The Unusual Weapon Behind the Boom
During the Yankees’ 20-run outburst against the Brewers on Saturday — which included nine home runs — broadcaster Michael Kay revealed that some Yankees were swinging a radical new bat design. Dubbed the “torpedo bat”, it features a barrel positioned closer to the hands than traditional models.
The innovation stems from an internal study by the Yankees’ analytics department, which found that shortstop Anthony Volpe consistently made contact with the label of the bat rather than the barrel. In response, the team collaborated with a bat manufacturer to redistribute the mass of the bat, concentrating harder wood in the label area — effectively moving the sweet spot.
“The concept makes so much sense. I know I’m bought in,” Volpe said on Sunday. “I’m sure there’s a part of our clubhouse that would’ve wanted it to be a secret. But it was always going to get out.”
Who’s Using It?
Volpe is far from alone. Teammates Jazz Chisholm, Cody Bellinger, and Austin Wells all used the torpedo bats over the weekend, combining for six home runs. Even players on other teams, like Orioles All-Star Adley Rutschman, have begun experimenting with the new design.
Notably, slugger Aaron Judge, who already has four homers this season, is sticking with a traditional bat — at least for now.
A Legal Innovation
Despite its unconventional design, the torpedo bat is fully compliant with MLB rules. The league mandates that bats be made of solid wood, no more than 42 inches long, no thicker than 2.61 inches, and have a cup no deeper than one inch. The torpedo bat checks every box.
The Physicist Behind the Bat
The bat was invented by Aaron Leanhardt, an MIT physicist who worked in the Yankees’ analytics department from 2018 to 2024 before joining the Miami Marlins this offseason. Leanhardt began developing the idea in 2022 and spent years working with MLB officials and manufacturers to ensure it could be legally and safely introduced.
“Ultimately, it just takes people asking the right questions and being willing to be forward-thinking,” Leanhardt told The Athletic.
The Future of Hitting?
While the torpedo bat won’t turn every hitter into an All-Star, it could offer elite players a slight edge — and in a game of inches, that matters. Former infielder Kevin Smith, who played in the Yankees’ system in 2024, says the logic is obvious to players.
“It’s not going to make you an elite hitter if you aren’t already (I tried),” Smith said. “But for the best in the world, any slight advantage could be the difference.”
With the Yankees showcasing the power of bat customization and nearly every team now reportedly exploring similar tech, this could be the start of a league-wide shift.
Bottom Line
For decades, hitters chose their bats by feel and habit. But as MLB begins its 150th season, players are finally realizing what physicists and analysts have long known: the bat itself can be a difference-maker. The age of precision-engineered lumber may have just begun — and the Yankees are swinging their way to the front of it.
