LAUNCH THE TORPEDOES – IS IT ANOTHER UNFAIR ADVANTAGE?

By Mike Rifkin

The New York Yankees belted 15 home runs in their season opening three game sweep of the Milwaukee Brewers in the Bronx. The key to this is the torpedo bat. The Yankees had a MIT Scientist take wood from other parts of the bat and place more wood on the barrel of the bat. Now, we all know this is going to become a thing where all 30 teams will use the torpedo bat, but will Baseball do anything about it? 

Yes, the torpedo bat is legal and it’s not just the Yankees using it, players on the Rays and Twins have been seen using the bat as well. Brewers Pitcher Trevor Megill said “ I think it’s terrible. I feel like it’s something used in slow pitch softball. It’s genius: Put the mass all in one spot. It might be bush (league). It might not be. But it’s the Yankees, so they’ll let it slide.” 

If baseball wants offense, it will keep the torpedo bat in play. But it’s another unfair advantage towards the hitter. Let’s be honest a lot of the recent rule changes have been advantages to the hitter. We can say the pitch clock and pickoff rules were there for the time of game and it was but it was also for increased offense, as is the runner on second base to start extra innings. But the biggest rule was when MLB banned sticky substances for pitchers and since we’ve seen an uptick in injuries to pitchers. 

Pitchers are now at a severe disadvantage because of these bats. Do I think MLB will do anything on the torpedo bat, probably not. But they should do something to give the pitcher an equal playing field.