Brace for Impact: Torpedo Bats Create Potential For Another Clash Between Innovation and Tradition

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Before the start of the 2025 baseball season few fans had ever heard of the torpedo bat. Since the New York Yankees (“Yankees”) dizzying offensive performance on Opening Weekend, torpedo bats have been the center of the baseball world.[2]  The Yankees hit fifteen home runs in their first three games, nine of which were hit with torpedo bats.[3] Upon witnessing the Yankees dominance, many fans felt that the new bats had to be the result of cheating. To many it seemed like common sense, using advanced physics to alter the shape of the bat and produce better offensive output had to be against the rules. To the chagrin of many fans, Rule 3.02, regulating bat size, has little qualms about modifications.[4] The rule only requires that the circumference of the bat not be larger than 2.61 inches.[5]

Torpedo bats are yet another fusion of technology and analytics with the tradition of America’s favorite pastime. Major League Baseball (“MLB”) has yet to take a clear stance in this conflict between innovation and tradition. In recent years, the MLB has taken several steps to break away from tradition by changing the rules of baseball.[6] This is best demonstrated by major rule changes like: the implementation of the pitch clock, the limit on pick off attempts, PitchCom communication system, and ghost runners during regular season extra innings games.[7] Additionally, Major League Baseball has begun experimenting with ABS (“automated ball-strike”) at this year’s Spring Training.[8] Such decisions clearly demonstrated that the decision makers at MLB are not luddites--they are willing to make changes to implement what they perceive to be problems facing baseball. Importantly, they implemented these changes in spite of opposition from the Major League Baseball Players’ Association (“MLBPA”).[9] These decisions indicate that the MLB sees no reason to alter Rule 3.02 simply due to the dissent of few.

However, an alternation to Rule 3.02, or an outright ban of the torpedo bats, is not an impossibility and could be supported by some recent precedent in baseball. Despite the many changes the MLB has implemented, they still fight against a total usurpation of the tradition and history of America’s pastime.[10] Prior to the 2023 season, a new change, the banning of the shift, was implemented to require all players to be at their traditional spaces on the diamond.[11] The MLB reasoned that the move would function to “restore more traditional outcomes on batted balls.”[12] This reasoning demonstrates the MLB’s decision-making considers their desire to maintain the traditions of baseball. It also suggests that if torpedo bats are shown to create untraditional outcomes of batted balls the MLB may feel compelled to act against them.

The pull between tradition and innovation is a struggle felt by fans and the media too. In discussing the potential implementation of ABS, the baseball podcasters Seamsters Union best summarized the struggle of lamenting the potential loss of the human element against acknowledging the optimization of calling balls and strikes.[13] Torpedo bats are another example of technology that feels to reduce the human element of the game, while simultaneously being an obvious step in optimization skills through existing technology.

Torpedo bat forces the MLB to once again grapple with how its rules should react to increasingly advance technological innovations. The MLB Commissioner, Rob Manfred, has indicated that the bats are “absolutely good.”[14] Manfred’s statement is a clear indication that at the moment the MLB has no intentions of altering the language of Rule 3.02 or outrightly banning torpedo bats.[15] However, as time passes, it is possible that an alteration needs to occur in order to “restore a more traditional outcome on batted balls.” The increased use of torpedo bats throughout the course of this season will certainly influence the MLB’s assessment on the action or inaction that should be taken in relation to Rule 3.02.

It is likely that this issue will be addressed at the MLB and MLBPA’s next Collective Bargaining Agreement (“CBA”) negotiations, as the current CBA only runs through the 2026 season.[16] MLB insiders have predicted the next CBA negotiations may be contentious with issues of payroll and the potential implementation of a salary cap being at the forefront of both players and owners’ concerns.[17] However, the effects of two full seasons of torpedo bats could lead to a more mobilized effort seeking to make a major issue out of rules supporting innovative equipment changes, such as torpedo bats and ABS. While the position of the league is in favor of keeping torpedo bats, two years of data may change the sentiments of many around the league.

John O'Reilly (staff writer) is a 2L at Villanova University Charles Widger School of Law. He is a huge fan of the MLB, college basketball, and college football. He hopes to one day become a lighthouse keeper.

References:

[1] Photo by Tim Gouw on Unsplash

[2] Jeff Passan. What is a Torpedo Bat? Inside MLB’s Next Big Thing. ESPN. (Mar. 31, 2025) https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/44477141/mlb-2025-torpedo-bowling-pin-bats-new-york-yankees-taking-baseball.

[3] See Id.

[4] See Id.

[5] See Id.

[6] Jeff Passan. Major League Baseball Passes Significant Rule Changes Including Pitch Clock, Banning Defensive Shifts. ESPN. (Sep. 9, 2022) https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/34556355/major-league-baseball-passes-significant-rules-changes-including-pitch-clock-banning-defensive-shifts. See also Anthony Castrovince. MLB Informs Clubs PitchCom is Approved for ’22 Season. MLB. (Apr 5, 2022) https://www.mlb.com/news/pitchcom-approved-for-use-in-2022-regular-season.

[7] See Id. See also Jese Rogers. Source: Extra-inning, extra-runner rule to remain. ESPN. (Feb 13, 2023) https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/35652660/source-extra-inning-extra-runner-rule-remain.

[8] Anthony Castrovince. MLB Testing Automated Ball-Strike Challenge System During Spring Games. MLB. (Feb. 18, 2025) https://www.mlb.com/news/automated-ball-strike-calls-mlb-spring-games.

[9] See Id.

[10] See Id.

[11] See Id.

[12] Defensive Shift Limits (2023 Rule Changes). MLB. https://www.mlb.com/glossary/rules/defensive-shift-limits.

[13] No Laying Up - Trap Draw, 291: Seamsters Union, at 05:10 (May 30, 2024), (accessed on Spotify).

[14] ESPN News Services. Rob Manfred Praises Torpedo Bats as ‘Absolutely Good’ for MLB. ESPN. (Apr. 6, 2025) https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/44557313/rob-manfred-praises-torpedo-bats-absolutely-good-mlb.

[15] See Id.

[16] Dayn Perry. MLB’s State of Labor: What to Know About 2026 CBA Including Odds of Salary Cap, International Draft, Lockout. MLB. (Mar. 10 2025) https://www.cbssports.com/mlb/news/mlbs-state-of-labor-what-to-know-about-2026-cba-including-odds-of-salary-cap-international-draft-lockout/.

[17] See Id.