Inside The Cubs

Should Cubs Begin Using Yankees' New "Torpedo" Bat Design?

The Chicago Cubs need to decide if they are going to use new "torpedo" bats.

Ryan Reynolds

Mar 19, 2025; Bunkyo, Tokyo, JPN; Chicago Cubs shortstop Dansby Swanson (7) hits an RBI double against the Los Angeles Dodgers during the fifth inning during the Tokyo Series at Tokyo Dome.
Mar 19, 2025; Bunkyo, Tokyo, JPN; Chicago Cubs shortstop Dansby Swanson (7) hits an RBI double against the Los Angeles Dodgers during the fifth inning during the Tokyo Series at Tokyo Dome. / Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images
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The Chicago Cubs are a playoff-caliber team that's off to a slow start, but the New York Yankees' "torpedo" bats have taken center stage early this season.

The general concept of the bat is to shift the sweet spot of the barrel closer to the player's hands, which is a value add for hitters that make contact closer to their hands. This bat was designed by former physics professor Aaron Leanhardt, who has a PhD in physics from the prestigious Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

In just a few days, the conversation about Leanhardt's innovation is already bouncing all over the league.

Barstool Sports creator Dave Portnoy got into a verbal scrap with Yankees second baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr. on X over New York's usage of "torpedo" bats. Portnoy is a Boston Red Sox fan, which is likely influencing his extreme stance on the matter.

Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Trevor Megill gave a scathing review of the new bat design. "It's the Yankees, so they'll let it slide," he said.

Love the Bronx Bombers or hate them, they are one of the most polarizing team in the sport. If a small market team introduced this new bat design while having the extreme success New York has enjoyed early this season, perhaps this discussion would have a different tone. Since it's the Yankees, however, things are quickly getting colorful.

That said, not everyone views "torpedo" bats as a game-breaking problem. Sean Casey is a former three-time All-Star with a career .302 batting average. He's also served as a hitting coach for New York in the past. He views "torpedo" bats as just one of many legal bat design variants.

During a recent episode of his podcast, the 12-year MLB veteran pulled out a variety of bats from his collection. He showed barrels with different designs, handles with different thicknesses and bats made of different types of wood. Casey also suggested it's the player, not the bat, that makes the difference at the plate.

A former hitting coach, Casey has direct experience with how the Yankees operate. They are trying to win on the margins, meaning they are always trying to find competitive advantages that can give them an edge against their opponents.

Casey also explained that in his generation, when Ken Griffey Jr. switched to a smaller bat size, other players followed suit. That's already starting to happen with "torpedo" bats, as other teams have already begun ordering their own.

MLB teams have been looking for new ways to get an edge since the sport began, so this is just the latest example of that.

The "torpedo" bat is a similar innovation that may give certain players an advantage they didn't previously have, but it's not for everyone. Reigning AL MVP Aaron Judge already has four homers and isn't using these new bats, even though many of his teammates are.

Dansby Swanson and Nico Hoerner are already using this innovation, so it might not be long before other Cubs players follow suit.

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