Torpedo bats are the explosive new trend in baseball after the New York Yankees set a franchise record Saturday, hitting nine home runs — the first four of which were back to back to back to back — for a 20-9 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers.
The game sent shockwaves across Major League Baseball. Other MLB teams have since placed an influx of orders with Hillerich & Bradsby, the Louisville-based company that makes Louisville Slugger bats and created the torpedo bats used by Yankee players over the weekend.
But are torpedo bats legal? And how can you get one of your own? Here's what we know.
Story continues after photo gallery.
What is a torpedo bat?
Unlike a traditional swatter, a torpedo bat has more wood at the barrel, closer toward the label. This creates a larger area at the spot where players make contact with the ball. A torpedo bat resembles something of an elongated bowling pin.
Michael Kay explains that the Yankees made new bats "where they moved a lot of the wood into the label so the harder part of the bat is going to strike the ball."
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) March 29, 2025
Seems relevant today... pic.twitter.com/cpldzigdrT
Who invented the torpedo bat?
Aaron Leanhardt, a former MIT physicist who worked as the Yankees' lead analyst in 2024, is credited with inventing the torpedo-style barrel. Leanhardt's idea was fashioned into reality with help from Hillerich & Bradsby. The company worked with four pro baseball teams for about 18 months to design the torpedo bat.
Batting engineer Brian Hillerich, according to the Louisville Courier-Journal, went through about five iterations of the torpedo bat before they found one just right for Yankee outfielder Cody Bellinger, who earned his first home run as a Yankee over the weekend.
Yes, the Yankees have a literal genius MIT Physicist, Lenny (who is the man), on payroll. He invented the “Torpedo” barrel. It brings more wood - and mass - to where you most often make contact as a hitter. The idea is to increase the number of “barrels” and decrease misses.
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