We are four days into the 2025 MLB season, and there is already controversy. The Yankees started the season obliterating the baseball against the Brewers, and some fans are quick to say that the team is cheating due to a different bat style, known as torpedo bats.
The MLB has pretty lax rules when it comes to bat measurements. Under rule 3.02, “The bat shall be a smooth, round stick not more than 2.61 inches in diameter at the thickest part and not more than 42 inches in length. The bat shall be one piece of solid wood.” There can be variations made to the bat, but they have to be approved by the league.
First off, the torpedo bats were approved by MLB. Second, fans are quick to say the “C” word — cheating — with the Yankees, but the fact of the matter is that all teams can use the bat; in fact, others like the Twins and Brewers have players that do, and only two players for New York are using it. We may see more players trying it out after this weekend, or we could see the MLB come out with new legislation.
Either way, here is more information on these torpedo bats and how the Yankees used them to dominate the Brewers on opening weekend.
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Are torpedo bats legal?
Yes, despite fans — and opposing pitchers — wanting to call out the Yankees for cheating, the bats are perfectly legal. All bats are checked before games, and the New York bats passed inspection. Even with the particular styling of the logos, the bats are within the size requirements from MLB. Now, the league could see how the Yankees obliterated the baseball against the Brewers and pass new legislation, but for now, they are legal.
Torpedo bats vs. regular bats
The biggest difference between torpedo bats and regular bats is the placement of the logo. Regular bats showcase the logos lower, between the handle and the barrel. Torpedo bats put the logo on the barrel. This causes more wood to be placed at the end of the bat, and it bulges sort of like a bowling pin. It makes the barrel of the bat a little heavier, and some players like the weight distribution more for their swing. Others, like Aaron Judge, tried the new bat design and opted for the regular bat.
Torpedo Bats https://t.co/3LaNcGJrWg pic.twitter.com/PqlQMaZ1WJ
— Tim Cates (@timcates) March 30, 2025
Yankees tie MLB record for most home runs in first three games
The 2006 Tigers hit 15 home runs in their first three games. For those wondering, no, torpedo bats were not invented at the time. New York had eight different players launch home runs in its three-game series against Milwaukee to open up the 2025 campaign. History favors the Yankees as the Tigers went on to win the AL pennant in 2006. The bats did cool off for Detroit, though, as their season output doesn’t rank in the top 25 for most in a season all-time.
How many home runs has Aaron Judge hit?
In his career, Judge has 319 home runs. He has already hit four in the 2025 season. Judge went 1-4 with an RBI and two strikeouts on Opening Day. He made up for it by going 4-6 with three home runs and a double in the Yankees’ 20-9 win over the Brewers. In the series finale, Judge went 1-1 with a home run and three walks.
After his 1st inning HR, Aaron Judge has 319 HRs in 996 career games.
Babe Ruth hit 321 HRs in his first 1,000 games with the Yankees.— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) March 30, 2025
Does Aaron Judge use a torpedo bat?
No. Judge was asked about why he doesn’t use a torpedo bat and simply said, “I think what I did last year speaks for itself.” The Yankees center fielder hit 58 home runs in 2024.
Yankees home run stats 2025
New York outscored Milwaukee 36-14 in the series. The Yankees launched 15 home runs in the series, with the torpedo bat being the focal point of the conversation. While many people want to make a huge deal over the bats, only Jazz Chisholm and Anthony Volpe are currently using them for the Yankees. Of the 15 home runs hit, Chisholm and Volpe combined for five of them. That means that 10 of the home runs were hit by players not using torpedo bats.
| Player | Home Runs |
| Aaron Judge | 4 |
| Jazz Chisholm | 3 |
| Austin Wells | 2 |
| Anthony Volpe | 2 |
| Ben Rice | 1 |
| Oswaldo Peraza | 1 |
| Paul Goldschmidt | 1 |
| Cody Bellinger | 1 |
What is Victus Sports?
Victus Sports is a bat making company based in Pennsylvania. They are the official bat partner of MLB. You can buy several different types of bats from the company. They make bats for Julio Rodriguez and Fernando Tatis Jr, but their most popular bat is the JC24 Pro Reserve. It is heralded for its balance, but it is not a torpedo bat.
Who is Aaron Leanhardt?
The torpedo bat was designed by MIT physicist Aaron Leanhardt. As MLB teams dive into analytics, they often bring in scientific minds trying to find the slightest edge. Leanhardt was a member of the Yankees organization in 2024 when he designed the torpedo bat. It created a slightly bigger barrel that still fell within the measurement marks set by the league. It was used sporadically last year, but was in the forefront of the stories from Opening weekend in 2025 as the Yankees hit 15 home runs. Leanhardt is now with the Marlins, and while we don’t know what kind of bats they were swinging with, they only hit two home runs over their first four games.
