The torpedo bat may look like something out of a sci-fi baseball league, but according to MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred, it’s here to stay.
The controversial bat design – which features a distinctive bowling-pin shape – has taken Major League Baseball by storm to start the 2025 season.
While entirely legal under the current rulebook, the unorthodox structure has drawn scrutiny from fans, pundits, and even some players.
Despite the noise, Manfred is standing firmly behind it.
In a recent Q&A with The New York Times, the commissioner defended the rising use of torpedo bats and dismissed the outcry as overblown.
“They’re absolutely good for baseball,” Manfred said. “I believe that issues like the torpedo bat and the debate around it demonstrate the fact that baseball still occupies a unique place in our culture, because people get into a complete frenzy over something that’s really nothing at the end of the day.”
Manfred pointed out that while the design may look radical, it falls well within the sport’s regulations – and it’s not the first time players have tried to manipulate bat characteristics to gain an edge.
“The bats comply with the rules. Players have actually been moving the sweet spot around in bats for years. But it just demonstrates that something about the game is more important than is captured by television ratings or revenue or any of those things, when you have the discussions and debates about it,” he said.
Those debates have only intensified since the New York Yankees became the first team to debut the torpedo bat in a regular-season game.
They immediately went on a historic home run tear, sending social media into a frenzy and sparking speculation that the bat design was giving hitters an unfair advantage.
Still, baseball experts and engineers have chimed in to debunk what they call “myths” about the bat’s impact.
According to them, while the shape may affect swing mechanics and sweet spot consistency, it’s not some magic wand for home runs. The fascination likely lies just as much in the bat’s look as in its results.
Yet even with controversy swirling, demand is booming.
Every team across the league is reportedly seeking access to the new bat, and with Manfred’s full-throated endorsement, its presence in the game appears to be anything but temporary.
As baseball continues to evolve, the torpedo bat might become less of a gimmick and more of a fixture – symbolizing the ongoing tug-of-war between tradition and innovation in America’s pastime.
What are your thoughts on the torpedo bat craze and Commissioner Manfred’s defense of them???
