NEW YORK — Yankees manager Aaron Boone had a few reminders when it comes to torpedo bats during his pregame presser at Yankee Stadium on Tuesday.
Boone compared the process of choosing a torpedo bat to getting fitted for golf clubs. It’s not like you can buy one of these pieces of lumber off the rack at a store. There’s more to it than that, a process of personalization that’s required.
Each bat is unique to the hitter that uses it. The design is rooted in where a player makes the most contact. Wood is subsequently moved from the parts of the bat that aren’t being used to the places that do in an effort to increase barrel size. That’s what causes the bowling pin shape where the barrel is thicker closer to a hitter’s handle, rather than at the end of the bat.
And as much as these bats are in the spotlight across baseball right now, it’s the batters that are still responsible for results. Sure, the bat changes could lead to an incremental increase in offense across baseball, but at the end of the day, it’s up to the hitters to make good swing decisions and make contact.
“Hopefully what doesn’t get lost in this is it’s about the player,” Boone said. “It’s about the hitter. It’s about the person swinging it. Understandably, I get it, it’s getting a lot of attention right now, but yes, ultimately, when the dust settles here, it’s about players performing.”
Here’s an updated list of some of the players across baseball who are using the torpedo bats this season, beginning with the five Yankees who turned this into a national story with a home run barrage against the Brewers this past weekend:
- Anthony Volpe, Yankees
- Jazz Chisholm Jr., Yankees
- Cody Bellinger, Yankees
- Austin Wells, Yankees
- Paul Goldschmidt, Yankees
- Jose Trevino, Reds
- Elly De La Cruz, Reds
- Junior Caminero, Rays
- Nico Hoerner, Cubs
- Dansby Swanson, Cubs
- Ryan Jeffers, Twins
- Adley Rutschman, Orioles
- Davis Schneider, Blue Jays
- Francisco Lindor, Mets
- Alec Bohm, Phillies
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Max Goodman may be reached at mgoodman@njadvancemedia.com.
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