The Major League Baseball season is officially underway, and every fan base is talking, not just about their respective teams.
The New York Yankees have stirred baseball fans with their torpedo bats. Other players have considered adopting baseball’s new fad by setting a record for most home runs hit by one team through the first four games of the season. But many others are questioning whether or not the hitters are gaining an unfair advantage against opposing pitchers.
This week, The Scout’s contributors Cristina Solano and Ethan Diamond debated using torpedo bats in MLB.
Yes
By Cristina Solano
The Yankees’ debut of the torpedo bats has sparked much controversy. However, these bats are fair game in the MLB.
According to the MLB’s official rules, “The bat shall be a smooth, round stick not more than 2.61 inches in diameter at the thickest part and not more than 42 inches in length.” The new torpedo bats are seemingly more effective for hitting, but do not violate the rules. The new design simply shifts the bat’s barrel slightly farther down to where more players contact the baseball, giving it its bowling pin shape and torpedo name.
The benefit of using these new bats is better balance and weight distribution. Since the barrel is pushed down compared to a regular bat, it gives the bat a lighter-weight feel and gives players better control of their swing.
Regarding great hitters, prioritizing precision and bat speed over power will only lead to more hits and home runs. With this design, players have time to make faster adjustments in their swing, which allows them to react quicker to a pitch coming their way.
Currently, the MLB allows the torpedo bats to stay in the game, as they do not violate any rules.
No
By Ethan Diamond
The torpedo bats have taken the MLB by storm this season. While the Yankees gained prominence for using the bats in games first, the concept had been floated between many teams, and we’re starting to see more players use the bats. The bats have been highly effective, with the Yankees hitting 18 home runs in their first four games, an MLB record.
While perfectly legal under current MLB restrictions, I think we will see a change coming to end the use of bats. Bats give the hitters an advantage over the pitcher, and in years past, we’ve seen pitchers have their advantages taken away, such as using sticky substances like spider tack.
Spider tack was legal until the MLB decided it gave pitchers too much advantage and began cracking down on it. I believe we need to see a similar fate for torpedo bats, and the MLB may soon take measures to end the advantage that hitters currently have.
