On Saturday, the Yankees became the third team in MLB history to hit nine home runs in a game. And some of them did so with new bats that fans are buzzing over.
Paul Goldschmidt, Cody Bellinger, and Aaron Judge hit consecutive home runs on the first three pitches of the game—a first since pitch counts have been recorded. Judge added two more homers, including a grand slam, in the 20–9 win.
This offensive explosion has been partially attributed to some players’ adoption of new bats. Per former Yankees infielder Kevin Smith, who called them “torpedo” bats, they were designed by former MIT and Michigan physicist Aaron Leanhardt. The bats feature a reconfigured barrel that shifts the sweet spot to align with players’ typical contact points, aiming to enhance hitting efficiency.
Chisholm and Volpe are two of the players using “torpedo” bats, according to Yankees broadcaster Michael Kay. Judge did not appear to be using the new bat.
An MLB spokesperson told FOS the bat shape does not violate the league’s Official Baseball Rules or the Bat Supplier Regulations.
Brewers closer Trevor Megill had strong opinions on the bats: “I’ve never seen anything like it before. … But it’s the Yankees, so they’ll let it slide.”
The Yankees hit two home runs on Opening Day Thursday, a 4-2 win over the Brewers. They hit four more in a 12–2 Sunday win, bringing their three-game total to 15.
Yankees manager Aaron Boone credited the team’s staff for finding advantages where they could, but emphasized that the bats were compliant.
“The reality is, it’s all within Major League standards. It’s 2025, so we can account for things a lot better. When I played, I probably used six, seven, eight different model bats throughout my career. … Those things aren’t new. There’s just more people pouring into trying to optimize guys as best we can,” Boone said after Sunday’s game.
