Seattle Mariners Manager Dan Wilson Discusses New 'Torpedo' Bat Controversy
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SEATTLE — Since Opening Day on March 27, a topic at the forefront of baseball conversation has been the new "torpedo" bats.
The New York Yankees set a franchise-record with nine home runs in a 20-9 win against the Milwaukee Brewers on Saturday. Five members of the Yankees lineup were using the torpedo bats in that game. The new style of bats were designed by New York coach and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) graduate Aaron Lenhardt.
The new bats received their moniker due to their wider barrel and are custom-made to player's preferences.
Some players across the league are using “torpedo” bats. Torpedo bats are defined by an untraditional barrel, which rests closer to the hitter's hands. The bats are designed with more wood concentrated in the area of the bat where the hitter is most likely to hit the ball. pic.twitter.com/EMm0meES4p
— MLB (@MLB) March 31, 2025
More teams and players have started using the bats. And Seattle Mariners manager Dan Wilson offered his thoughts on the new piece of equipment before a game against the Detroit Tigers on Monday.
"I have not seen one in person, up close and personal," Wilson said. "Interesting phenomenon. I really haven't any idea what it's like, or how it feels in the hand, whatever the differences are. ... It is very early. I think we saw a little bit of this with the ax bat a couple years ago. (That was) a change in the handle. This is a little bit more more change in the barrel. We've seen technology affect the game over time. I just think it's just really early to tell."
Wilson said he hasn't seen any of his players test out the new bats but he's not adverse to any of Seattle's hitters trying it out.
"I think anybody would take it into (batting practice) to see what it feels like," Wilson said. "At the end of the day, I think it's an overall feel and getting a chance to use it just to try it. Whether it's in the cage or in a BP session. Something like that would be where a guy would try it. And if he felt like it was something that he liked, then maybe he would give it a shot. Those things are word-of-mouth. It's a lot of player-to-player and how they feel about it."
Time will tell whether the new style of bats are something that will stick around or just a new fad in a game that's constantly looking for ways to innovate. But it will be interesting if they make an appearance in the Mariners dugout at some point in the coming days.
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