Max Zitomer is used to receiving a lot of phone calls this time of the year as the spring baseball and softball season gets underway.
But the owner and founder of Closeout Bats, a popular family-owned baseball and softball equipment shop in Westwood, said his phone has been ringing off the hook over the few days with callers inquiring about the latest craze: “torpedo” bats.
“It’s been more real the last couple of days and since last weekend when the Yankees hit all those home runs,” said Zitomer, who opened his business in 1999. “We’ve carried a similar style bat for a while, but it wasn’t as popular and it wasn’t called a torpedo bat until recently.
“Now, many of our vendors and bat manufacturers are planning on sending us more of these bats to stock in the coming days.”
What are 'torpedo' bats?
Last weekend, the Yankees set a franchise record with nine home runs in Saturday’s 20-9 win over the Milwaukee Brewers at Yankee Stadium. The Yankees hit 15 home runs in three games as they swept the Brewers to start the season.
Several Yankees players, including former Delbarton star Anthony Volpe, said they are using bats that are wider in the barrel and thinner at the top, called “torpedo bats.” Several players across the MLB, including Yankees slugger Giancarlo Stanton were using the newly-shaped bat last season, but the Yankees’ recent home-run barrage brought “torpedo” bats to the forefront of conversation.
“The torpedo-style bat is nothing new. It’s been around for a long time," said Lar Gilligan, president of Akadema, a Bloomingdale-based manufacturer and seller of baseball and softball equipment since 1997. "But it’s caught a lot of attention lately."
Youth and high school players can use wood bats in league games, but are likely to use either BBCOR or aluminum bats during the spring season. Wood bats are frequently used on the summer club and travel circuit.
“We’ve carried a Rawlings version of the torpedo bat, but it wasn’t marketed as such,” Zitomer said. “Obviously, now it’s being marketed that way. We’re introducing a Marucci and Victus version, with both manufacturers offering three different models.”
What do torpedo bats cost?
Marucci, based in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, markets those bats at two different price points. Its top model, the Francisco Lindor LINDY12 Torpedo Pro Exclusive, sells for $190, while its AP5 Torpedo Pro Model and CB15 Torpedo Pro Model fetch $170 apiece.
Victus, baseball in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania, has manufactured the bats used by Volpe since he was 13 years old. The company lists three different torpedo bats: the Anthony Volpe (AV) Torpedo Pro Reserve for $210, and the ALT13 Torpedo Pro Reserve and Top Torpedo Pro Reserve for $199 each.
Gilligan said Akadema expects to have its version of a torpedo bat on the market by the end of the week.
“There’s been so many different trends over the years when it comes to baseball equipment, be it gloves, apparel or bats. We’re seeing the demand for torpedo-style bats. We’ve designed our own version which will be released shortly,” Gilligan said. “There’s been a jump in interest, especially with young athletes always looking for an advantage."
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com:
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