The MLB season is officially underway, and it has already brought us fans a multitude of interesting storylines to follow. Most notable among these is the now-infamous “Torpedo Bat”, which shocked the baseball world when it made its debut on the Yankees’ opening day.
In an era dominated by pitching, Yankees minor league hitting coordinator and former physics professor Aaron Leanhardt set out to change the narrative. After speaking with multiple players, Leanhardt found that players were “frustrated by the fact that pitching had gotten so good”, with strikeouts at an all-time high. Leanhardt realized the players would be able to counter this by making more contact with the ball. Leadnhardt developed a bat similar to a bowling pin in structure, with the bulk of the weight being redistributed from the end of the bat toward the area six to seven inches from the tip – the spot where players typically strike the ball.
This “Torpedo Bat” made its debut this past March, allowing the Yankees to tie a major league record with fifteen home runs over their first three games, nine of which came from players who used the bat. Although controversies have arisen regarding whether the bat should be allowed, the Torpedo Bats are legal according to Major League Baseball’s current rulebook. It will be interesting to see how this story plays out because the Torpedo Bat has the potential to reshape the game of baseball as we know it.
On another note, the Yankees’ right fielder, Aaron Judge, has begun the season with a bang, leading the league in numerous statlines. Judge spent the offseason plotting how he could avoid the slow start to the season that he had in 2024. His preparation paid off, and as of April 25th, the two-time AL MVP leads the league with a .415 batting average, 39 hits, and a 1.247 OPS. He is second in RBIs and eighth in home runs, a stark contrast from last season, in which he batted .191 with just four home runs. So what has changed? Well, Judge is controlling the zone better, cutting his strikeout rate down ten percent in the past two years. His contact rate has shot up to nearly 80%, and when he connects, he hits the ball with a whopping 95.7 mph average exit velocity. Interestingly enough, Judge has refused to use the Torpedo Bat. Following Judge’s historic 2024 season in which he led the Majors with 58 home runs, this season could cement his legacy as one of the greatest hitters of all time, as he is already off to such a strong start.
The good news is not limited only to Yankees fans, as the Mets are also off to a fast start this year. Francisco Lindor began the season 0-for-11, but has quickly picked up momentum, and is batting .349 with 5 home runs and a .972 OPS since their series with Houston. Many analysts speculated that Mets star Pete Alonso would sign with another team this offseason. Fortunately for Mets fans, he returned to the Mets and has also had a monster start. Alonso’s performance makes a strong argument for the best player in the NL thus far, as he is batting .341, has 6 home runs, and is tied for second with 26 RBIs. On the other hand, Juan Soto, the right fielder who recently signed a record-breaking 15-year, $765 million contract for the Mets, has not lived up to expectations. Soto has struggled at the plate, currently hitting .233 with just three home runs. Despite Soto’s disappointing start, the Mets rank number one in the league with eighteen wins and only seven losses.
With the combination of the Torpedo Bats, Aaron Judge’s historic start, and the Mets’ success, we New York fans have a lot to look up to this season. Be sure to keep your eye on these storylines, but also try to discover new ones of your own – that is one of the many beauties of baseball: there is always something interesting going on.
