Yankees player Anthony Volpe was standing in front of his locker just moments before his game against the Milwaukee Brewers March 29, trying to decide which bat he was going to use.
In his left hand, the Yankees shortstop displayed one he had used last season; in his right, the new “Torpedo bat” model that has become a hot topic following the club’s historic nine-homer barrage on the afternoon of March 29.
“The difference between the two bats is noticeable, as the Torpedo barrel rests in a non-traditional location, closer to the hitter’s hands,” Major League Baseball (MLB) reported. MLB confirmed the day after the game that the bats do not violate MLB rules or bat supplier regulations. Rule 3.02 states that bats cannot be more than 2.61 inches in diameter and 42 inches in length.
The Yankees made home run history, said MLB, during their season-opening homestand, tying a record with 15 home runs in their first three games of a season and tying a club mark with 13 home runs in two games.
Some people say the change in bats is bad for baseball and could impact things in a negative way. Others are neutral towards the change.
Benedictine baseball player John Sparks said, “I think the new bats are a cool innovation in baseball, but I don’t think it will impact the game in the way it is being promoted in the media. I’ve been seeing people say that it’s the new cheat code in baseball and the most probable players for the MVP race are using their regular bats.”
Technology is always advancing in almost everything. Baseball is adapting and creating something new and exciting to bring to the game.
Sparks stated, “The whole concept is just changing where the barrel is the thickest on your bat instead of the traditional barrel. So far it has been impressive seeing the amount of home runs by the Yankees.”
