- The Sports Science Laboratory at Washington State University ran some tests on their “torpedo” bat models designed in-house, and the results are in. The new bats could benefit the right batter.
- The “sweet spot” on the torpedo bats at the lab moved between 0.5 inches and 1 inch further inside, toward the label.
- Several teams and players are now experimenting with the new bats to see if they help.
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The “torpedo” bat craze in Major League Baseball is still gaining steam as more and more players and teams experiment with them. The jury, however, is still out on how much of an edge they might give a player at the plate.
The Yankees’ offensive explosion of 36 runs and 15 homers in their first series of the season was the spark for this phenomenon. Five Yankee players used the torpedo or bowling pin-shaped bats. That success on such a high-profile stage prompted a media frenzy and a surge of scientists, bat makers and other experts weighing in.
What were the results of the WSU ‘Bat Lab’ testing?
Straight Arrow News asked Dr. Nick Smith at the Washington State University Sports Science Laboratory to give us an opinion.
“What would be cool and what we want to see if this does –– is if they can actually move the sweet spot by changing the barrel design,” Dr. Smith said. “If you can do that –– well, if you can’t train a hitter to hit in the real sweet spot, but you can move the sweet spot to where the hitter is actually hitting it, well, that would be cool.”
The “Bat Lab,” as they are sometimes called, tested it by tapering some bats to look and perform like the ones the Yankees and other MLB players are using. The results came back Wednesday, April 2, and they found the sweet spot did move from 0.5 inches to 1 inch, depending on the size of the bat and how it was tapered.
Which hitters are likely to benefit?
That small change could mean better results at the plate, but it’s up to the player to make consistent contact in that new sweet spot –– or whichever way the bat may be tailored. Some, like all those Yankees who hit homers over the weekend or Cincinnati’s Elly De La Cruz, may have found that small edge.
In his first game using the Torpedo bat Monday, March 31, De La Cruz had two homers and seven RBIs against the Texas Rangers. His success could also simply be that he is a great hitter. Only a larger sample size will give scientists and MLB the data needed to determine if there’s an edge.
Are there skeptics out there?
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts is not convinced. His team has scored 45 runs in eight games—the best in the majors and just ahead of the Yankees.
“I guess it’s just this craze, I just haven’t dug into it,” Roberts said. “It’s certainly early, and there’s kind of people talking about it, but I don’t think any of our guys swing that bat, so I’m not sure what it is.”
Roberts said it would not surprise him if some of his players ordered a torpedo bat to try it out. He added that his pitchers were already looking at different pitches and pitch locations that could counter players that swing the new bats.
