The New York Yankees’ unconventional bat design has been making waves across Major League Baseball, drawing both curiosity and controversy.
The bats, with a shape resembling a stretched-out bowling pin or a torpedo, have been questioned by critics despite being fully within MLB regulations.
Among the most vocal skeptics is Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy, who, while sporting his Red Sox allegiance, dubbed it a “cheater bat.”
“Of course, the Yankees hired an MIT physicist to basically take wood from the other parts of the bat – like near the handle label – and put it in the sweet spot to make the sweet spot bigger,” Portnoy stated in an “Emergency Press Conference” video on X.
According to Portnoy, the change was specifically made to help struggling Yankees players.
“They did this because Anthony Volpe sucks and he kept getting jammed and sawed off and we’re like, ‘How do we make him not suck? Let’s just make this bat called a torpedo bat. Where basically, you swing and you make contact on the handle, get sawed off, it’s a homerun,” he said.
The Barstool Sports founder then took aim at the Yankees’ sudden power surge, suggesting that even Aaron Judge, who has denied using the torpedo bats, is benefiting from them.
“So I think the Yankees have hit like, I think, 13 home runs. Jazz Chisholm, or whatever that guy, he’s got like 13 home runs. Aaron Judge is hitting home runs, he’s saying he’s not using the torpedo bats, he is, take a look,” he continued.
Portnoy left no doubt about where he stands on the issue, outright calling the bats illegal.
“If you get sawed off, or you hit the ball off the label, that means you’re not getting your hands through enough and you stink. Just taking the bat and making the thing like a corked bat with this torpedo hump, so all you gotta do is make contact, it’s a home run… That just makes someone who stinks better.
‘That’s just some geek from MIT ruining 100 years of baseball or 200 years of baseball. So listen, if MLB wants to sit on their a** and not outlaw this torpedo bat, then all the teams around going to do it and every game is gonna be 100-98, there’s gonna be 3,000 home runs,” Portnoy concluded.
Yankees second baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr. is never afraid to speak his mind and he made sure his objection to Portnoy’s claim was heard loud and clear on social media.
Chisholm addressed the skeptics with a no-nonsense explanation of how the bat works – and didn’t hold back in the process.
“Okay explanation the barrel is bigger and within mlb regulation! For the idiots that say it’s moved to the label you’re an idiot! Nobody is trying to get jammed you just move the wood from the parts you don’t use to the parts you do! You’re welcome no more stress for y’all!” Chisholm posted.
Of course, Chisholm knows the criticism isn’t going anywhere – especially with the Yankees’ historic power surge to start the season.
But the science behind the torpedo bat is simple: it redistributes weight to maximize barrel impact, removing unnecessary wood from areas that rarely make contact. It’s not cheating. It’s engineering.
While Portnoy and others cry foul, players around the league aren’t just accepting the torpedo bat – they’re actively seeking it out.
Manny Machado was spotted on Sunday Night Baseball practically begging for one. The Atlanta Braves placed an order for them over the weekend.
Reds star Elly De La Cruz hit 2 home runs and drove in 7 RBIs while using a torpedo bat for the very first time last night.
More hitters across Major League Baseball are expected to start using them within the next month.
And don’t be shocked if Portnoy’s beloved Red Sox take notice – especially with Rafael Devers struggling mightily at the plate. (He’s off to such a bad start that some fans actually think he’s tanking on purpose.)
For all the outrage over torpedo bats, the results speak for themselves. Chisholm is 5-for-12 with three home runs using the bat so far this season.
Having said that, the controversy surrounding the bats won’t be going away anytime soon. Some insiders believe that a ban – or at least an adjustment – is inevitable.
What is your stance on the issue???
