Mets' Jeff McNeil experimenting with torpedo bats during injury rehab

Jeff McNeil has begun taking batting practice as he recovers from an oblique strain, and he's trying out the torpedo bat.

Joe Najarian | Apr 5, 2025

Feb 27, 2025; Port St. Lucie, Florida, USA; New York Mets second baseman Jeff McNeil (1) returns to the dugout against the Houston Astros during the first inning at Clover Park. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images / Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

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New York Mets

One of the New York Mets' key veterans is working towards a return to the field - and he could be using the torpedo bat.

On Friday, ahead of the team's home opener, Mets manager Carlos Mendoza provided an encouraging update on second baseman Jeff McNeil. The 32-year-old, sidelined since March 13 with a right oblique strain, is taking batting practice and may be back on the diamond within the next few weeks.

More details of McNeil's rehab was later reported by Tim Healey of Newsday, who confirmed that the second baseman/utility man got a shipment of the widely-circulating "torpedo bats". McNeil got the new bats last week and has been using them in his batting practice sessions, although he has yet to make a decision on if he'll use them in games.

Add Jeff McNeil to the list of those experimenting with torpedo bats. He got a shipment last week and has been using them in batting practice as he rehabs from an oblique strain. He said he isn’t sure if he’ll use them in games.
— Tim Healey (@timbhealey) April 4, 2025

The torpedo bat has dominated headlines early this season, particularly after the Mets' cross-town rivals, the New York Yankees, hit nine home runs in a game with multiple players using the new lumber. However, the design - which was approved by MLB - is nothing new to the Mets.

Mendoza, who downplayed the controversy surrounding the bats, noted that shortstop Francisco Lindor used them during spring training and has continued to use them early in the Mets' 2025 campaign. First baseman Pete Alonso has showed interest in trying them out, although he rightfully considers existing hitting prowess to be more important towards overall performance.

In McNeil's case, a torpedo bat could be highly beneficial due to his hitting profile.

McNeil is widely known as one of the league's most aggressive contact hitters; his squared-up rate of 27.7% and whiff rate of 17.5% last year ranked in the 87th and 92nd percentiles on Baseball Savant, respectively. However, his barrel rate of 3.1% ranked in the 6th percentile, one of the lowest figures in the league.

The torpedo bat has more wood distributed to the area where players typically make the most contact. In theory, this would allow the contact-heavy McNeil to land his sweet spot more often and subsequently hit the ball harder. McNeil doesn't hit for power often - outside of a 23-homer season in 2019 - but the increased exit velocity on batted balls would contribute to more base hits, in addition to a slight increase in power.

Upon his return from injury, McNeil will aim to rediscover his 2022 form, which saw him lead the majors with a .326 batting average. His strong second half last season could indicate that he's getting closer to that level, but perhaps a switch to the torpedo bat could allow McNeil to reach those heights again - and then some.

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