Generating Buzz: The Torpedo Bat: A Trend or New Standard in Major League Baseball?

Baseball season is underway, and it’s not a surprise that the New York Yankees are among the league leaders in hits and home runs. But how they’re doing it has become the biggest storyline in the sport. 

Several Yankee sluggers were swinging a new style of bat, dubbed the torpedo bat, on March 29, when the team hit nine home runs, and the trend quickly caught on around the league. 

Materials and manufacturers may vary, but the design of a baseball bat has remained relatively unchanged, so how does the torpedo bat compare to other game-changing innovations in sports history? Jud Ready, associate director for external engagement at the Institute for Matter and Systems and the creator of the Materials Science and Engineering of Sports course at Georgia Tech, shares his thoughts on the bat and how the Institute is using technology to create change in sports.

Some players across the league are using “torpedo” bats. Torpedo bats are defined by an untraditional barrel, which rests closer to the hitter's hands. The bats are designed with more wood concentrated in the area of the bat where the hitter is most likely to hit the ball. pic.twitter.com/EMm0meES4p

— MLB (@MLB) March 31, 2025