MLB field coordinators generally don't draw media scrums.
But when you're Aaron "Lenny" Leanhardt, innovator of the suddenly famous "torpedo bat," you're the exception to the rule.
Leanhardt is the field coordinator for the Miami Marlins. He drew a crowd of reporters and cameras on Monday ahead of Miami's home game against the New York Mets.
Marlins’ field coordinator Aaron “Lenny” Leanhardt on the “Torpedo Bat.” pic.twitter.com/eX4VOStPbC
— Marlins Radio Network (@MarlinsRadio) March 31, 2025
"There's a lot more cameras here today than I'm used to," Leanhardt said. ... "It's definitely been surreal for the last couple of days. At the end of the day, it's about the batter and not the bat. It's about the hitters and their hitting coaches, not their hitting implement.
"I"m happy to always help those guys get a little bit better. But ultimately it's up to them to put good swings on good pitches and grind it out every day. So credit to those guys."
Why did the 'torpedo bat' just now surface?
Per a news release announcing his hiring in January, Leanhardt's primary responsibility with the Marlins is "to integrate the use of quantitative information with on-field performance and preparation, and serve as a conduit between the analytics department and Major League staff."
But it's his role in developing the "torpedo bat" that generated countless headlines over the weekend as New York Yankees players used them during a historic home-run barrage against the Milwaukee Brewers.
Leanhardt was asked why it took so long for baseball to come up with the "torpedo bat" concept.
"All I can say is I was one of those smart guys for so long that grew up swinging those old weird-looking bats as well," Leanhardt said. "It's not until now that maybe anyone thought about this, myself included.
"You show up every day. You put on the glove you're given. You swing the bat that you're given. You put on the spikes you're given. And you go about your day as best you can. Every now and then it takes a little bit of time to question what you're doing."
"A couple of years ago some of the hitters started questioning what they were doing, and I just kind of responded to their questions."
