Mariners reactions to new torpedo bats
By Jeffrey Nooney, edited by Charles Hamaker
Seattle, WA - Every year, something crazy, weird and off the wall takes Major League Baseball by storm. From spider tac to sweepers, every year seems to bring new terminology to the baseball lexicon. This year has been no different with the introduction of “torpedo bats”. During Opening Weekend, the New York Yankees blew the Milwaukee Brewers out of the ballpark by a final score of 20-9 during the second game of the series. During the broadcast, Yankees broadcaster Michael Kay talked about the bats, and how New York had hired a MIT grad to help develop the bats to help shortstop Anthony Volpe. In that blowout win for the Yankees, the first four batters for New York all homered on the first four pitches thrown by Brewers starter Nestor Cortes. Yankees sluggers Paul Goldschmidt, Anthony Volpe and Cody Bellinger all used these bats with a ton of success and they obviously became a hot topic around the league as fans wondered if they were legal, how legitimate they were, and when their team may start using them.
A few of the new “Torpedo” bats that the Seattle Mariners ordered, seen during pregame batting practice ahead of their Friday, April 11th, 2025 series opening win over the Texas Rangers at T-Mobile Park. (Photos by Rio Giancarlo for Circling Seattle Sports)
In that aforementioned Opening series against the Brewers, the Yankees scored 36 runs across three games. New York ranks second in all of baseball in home runs, trailing only the juggernaut that is the Los Angeles Dodgers. Despite all of the success of the torpedo bats for the Yankees, reigning MVP Aaron Judge did not use them. I think he has shown that if any player did not need help with their bat, it’s him. What makes the torpedo bat different from a standard baseball bat? Torpedo bats distribute the density of the bat in a much different way than a standard bat. The end of the torpedo bat is much smaller, giving the look of the bat more of a torpedo, or a bowling pin. This makes the sweet spot of the barrel much larger, helping hitters hit the ball harder if they’re able to barrel the ball up.
One of the biggest questions asked was if the torpedo bats are legal. Yes, they are completely legal, as the torpedo bats fall well within MLB’s rule on bats, rule 3.02 stating: “The bat shall be a smooth, round stick no more than 2.61 inches in diameter at the thickest part and no more than 42 inches long”. A common misconception was that this bat was only available for the Yankees, but that is just not true. These bats have been available to everyone for a while, but with the recent popularity of them, they are being used a lot more. None of the Mariners batters had used them in a game, until tonight’s contest between Seattle and the Texas Rangers in the first battle of their three-game series when their order of the bats had finally arrived.
Before Friday night’s game against Texas, multiple Mariners hitters were seen checking out the bats during early batting practice. The first player I saw take swings with the new bat was outfielder/first baseman Luke Raley. Raley brought the torpedo bat, along with his regular bat, into the cage with him. He took a few swings with the torpedo bat, but ended up tossing it aside in favor of his regular bat. J.P. Crawford, Leo Rivas and Julio Rodríguez all took practice swings outside of the cage. As Julio was heading back into the clubhouse, he was asked what he thought of the torpedo bats.
“Not for me, no.”
Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh seen during pregame batting practice and right before his go-ahead two-run home run in the bottom of the eight inning with his new “Torpedo” style bat, as his team would take the series opener against the Texas Rangers on Friday, April 11th, 2025. (Photos by Rio Giancarlo for Circling Seattle Sports)
During regular batting practice, more of the bats came out to mixed reactions. Outfielder Randy Arozarena was all smiles after taking batting practice with the new bat. When asked if he like it, he enthusiastically said “YES!”. Luke Raley said that the style of bat is not for him, as he hits the ball off the end of the bat a lot and that it would mess with his swing too much. Leo Rivas said that the bat is just not for him, similar to Julio. Cal Raleigh said he wants more time to learn the bat before he makes his decision, but all the time he needed was until the bottom of the eighth inning of Friday night’s game against the Texas Rangers. Cal came up to the plate, torpedo bat in hand, and smashed his third home run of the season giving the Mariners a 5-3 lead. When asked about the torpedo bat after the game, here is what Cal had to say:
“Well, you know how baseball players are. We’re not patient. It felt good, I was just like ‘God, I might as well try it!’ I put a good swing on it. He’s (Rangers reliever Chris Martin) a tough pitcher. He’s had my number in the past. He just left one over the middle.”
Are torpedo bats here to stay? Yes and no. A few years ago, the Axe-handled bats were all the craze around Major League Baseball. Now they are not as common as they were a few years ago, similar to bats with the “puck” style handle. Not every player can have success with a torpedo bat, as barreling up the baseball isn’t as common as you’d think. Each bat is custom fit to each players sweet spot the same way golfers get fitted for their clubs. Different players have a different sweet spot on the bat. While it might work for Cal, it may not work for Julio. The torpedo bat is not a “one size fits all” kind of thing. Bat company’s are always innovating and coming up with new ideas. Some stick around, some don’t, and that always has been a part of the game. For now, We will have to wait and see who it helps on the Mariners, but it sure does seem it’s helped Cal Raleigh for at least one night.
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Check out our previous Seattle Mariners articles here.
Check out our previous articles with writing by Jeffrey Nooney here. Check out his previous work with Sodo Mojo by clicking here.
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