The Yankees have been obliterating the field, leading to an outstanding start to the season, mashing eighteen home runs in only four games. This includes a game where the Yankees hit nine home runs, three by star outfielder Aaron Judge. Although the Yankees have been known for hitting home runs, this many in only four games is almost unheard of.
So what is their secret? Some say it’s the short right field porch in Yankee Stadium, but now it seems to be torpedo bats. Torpedo bats are simply a different type of bat that is shaped almost like a torpedo. These newly designed bats take the wood from the end of the bat, where you don’t want to hit the ball, and put it on the spot of the bat the batters hit the ball with the most. Doing this gives the batters who use them a better chance to hit the ball on the zone of the bat that gives them the best results.
The Yankees used data from last season to determine where the sweet spot is on each player’s bat, and ordered these bats customized to be optimal for each player’s skill set.
These new bats are clearly working as the team has been destroying the baseball. Aaron Judge has a .400 batting average and four of his six hits have been home runs, and Jazz Chisholm, Jr. is even hitting .313 with three of his five hits being homers.
Some are worried about possible health issues, as these bats change the weight distribution of the bats. Yankees designated hitter Giancarlo Stanton has suffered from epicondylitis, more commonly known as tennis elbow, in both of his elbows. There’s no timetable for his return and he and the Yankees say that surgery is a last resort. He used a torpedo bat for parts of last year, including his phenomenal postseason where he hit seven HRs, including four in the ALCS. Stanton won ALCS MVP for his performance, but has started the season off on the league’s Injured List.
When asked in March as to what caused these injuries, he said that it was bat adjustments. However, he also said that torpedo bats weren’t the contributing factor to his elbow injuries.
More and more players around the MLB have been placing orders for torpedo bats to improve their hitting ability. Only time can tell as to what the health risks may end up being for the players using these bats, but for now they are enjoying the benefits of more powerful hits and many home runs.