The Los Angeles Dodgers, enjoying a historic 8-0 start to their season, have yet to incorporate baseball’s latest fascination: the “torpedo” bat. This unconventional bat, shaped like a bowling pin, has garnered widespread attention following the New York Yankees’ impressive 15-home run weekend. Dodgers hitting coaches Aaron Bates and Robert Van Scoyoc, while admitting they hadn’t seen the bats firsthand until their viral moment, expressed intrigue.
Players like Max Muncy and Kiké Hernández have shown interest in testing the bat’s potential, and it’s anticipated that others on the team will follow suit. Muncy, however, was the first Dodger to use the torpedo bat in a game, trying it out during his initial two plate appearances against the Atlanta Braves on Wednesday. After failing to produce results, he quickly reverted to his standard bat.
Los Angeles Dodgers’ Max Muncy Opted For Traditional Bat
This decision proved fruitful, as Muncy subsequently hit a game-tying two-run double in the eighth inning, contributing to the Dodgers’ 6-5 comeback victory. Following the game, Muncy explained his decision to abandon the torpedo bat.
“I do think there was some good to using the torpedo bat, just in BP and everything,” Muncy said. “It might be something that I use as a practice bat and then go back to my bat for the game. It seemed to work that last at-bat.”
The “torpedo” bat’s design shifts the barrel’s mass closer to the handle, aiming to enlarge the sweet spot and create a more balanced swing. In an era of increased pitching velocity and data-driven at-bats, even minor advantages are worth exploring. “All the players want hits, so they’re going to do anything they can,” Van Scoyoc stated.
The Yankees’ successful experiment has sparked a potential league-wide trend, with bat manufacturers like Marucci now producing torpedo models. Notable players such as Francisco Lindor, Adley Rutschman, and Elly De La Cruz have already experimented with the bat, with De La Cruz delivering a standout performance of two home runs and seven RBIs in his first game using it.