CNN
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Never one to shy away from a controversial topic, MLB commissioner Rob Manfred lauded “torpedo” bats as the future of America’s pastime, calling them “absolutely good for baseball” in a wide-ranging interview with the New York Times.
“I believe that issues like the ‘torpedo’ bat and the debate around it demonstrate the fact that baseball still occupies a unique place in our culture because people get into a complete frenzy over something that’s really nothing at the end of the day,” Manfred said.
The “torpedo” bat – or “bowling pin” bat as it’s sometimes been called – garnered plenty of attention and debate after the New York Yankees crushed 18 home runs in their first four games of the season, setting a new MLB record.
Originally developed by Miami Marlins field coordinator and MIT-trained physicist Aaron “Lenny” Leanhardt while with the Yankees, the “torpedo” bat moves wood from the end of the bat down to where a player more often makes contact with the ball. The idea is to adapt the sweet spot accordingly, so every player’s bat is unique.
Some fans and commentators wondered why no one had thought of it earlier, while others claimed it was tantamount to cheating. For its part, MLB has confirmed the bats are legal, with players across the league now starting to use them during games.
“The bats comply with the rules,” said Manfred. “Players have actually been moving the sweet spot around in bats for years. But it just demonstrates that something about the game is more important than is captured by television ratings or revenue or any of those things, when you have the discussions and debates about it.”
Manfred wants robot umps in 2026
Manfred also discussed the introduction of “robot umps” to the major leagues – perhaps even as soon as next season.
After trialing the Automated Ball-Strike (ABS) challenge system in the minor leagues last year, it was tested in spring training this season, with a notable incident involving the Yankees’ Jazz Chisholm Jr. in a game against the Boston Red Sox showing its potential.
In the ABS system, the umpire still calls balls and strikes, but a challenge results in a review of the pitch location using Hawk-Eye technology. It’s in use in the minors again this season, but pitches remain unreviewable at the major league level.
“I think that the experiment was really successful,” Manfred told the Times. “I think the owners made a good choice by going with the challenge system first, and I hope that we bring it to the big leagues in short order. It won’t be in 2025. It’d be in 2026.”
He alluded to umpires being in favor of every pitch being called by the video system rather than the challenge system.
“The problem with the challenge system is it points out when you’re wrong. And I think nobody likes to be shown, in front of 48,000 people, they just missed the pitch,” Manfred said.
However, it seems players would not go for a fully automated pitch calling system. The ABS challenge system is the middle-ground between keeping tradition in the game and improving outcomes in high-stakes scenarios.
“It keeps the human element in the game, it preserves a part of the game,” said Manfred. “Framing has always been part of a game … But it at least gives you the chance, if you play your challenges right, to correct a mistake that could cost you a game.”
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