Rob Manfred Says 'Torpedo' Bats Are 'Absolutely Good for' MLB and Comply with Rules

MLB commissioner Rob Manfred left little room for interpretation when it came to the "torpedo" bats that have provided an early subplot in the 2025 season.

"They're absolutely good for baseball," he said to the New York Times' Michael S. Schmidt. "I believe that issues like the torpedo bat and the debate around it demonstrate the fact that baseball still occupies a unique place in our culture, because people get into a complete frenzy over something that’s really nothing at the end of the day.

"The bats comply with the rules. Players have actually been moving the sweet spot around in bats for years. But it just demonstrates that something about the game is more important than is captured by television ratings or revenue or any of those things, when you have the discussions and debates about it."

As Manfred referenced, the new bat design apparently escaped the attention of baseball fans and writers for a little while. In the case of the latter, it was at least deemed unworthy of further examination.

Once New York Yankees play-by-play announcer Michael Kay pointed them out on a broadcast, though, the "torpedo" bats have become a frequent topic of discussion. The Bronx Bombers' 36 runs scored in their opening series against the Milwaukee Brewers were a great advertisement for the innovation as well.

On a lesser scale, Cincinnati Reds star Elly De La Cruz hit two home runs and had seven RBI while using the "torpedo" bat in a 14-3 win over the Texas Rangers on March 31.

This could all be much ado about nothing.

As Manfred alluded to, there isn't some wider conspiracy at play. The modified bats are within MLB rules, and they're out in the open for everyone to see.

It's also too soon to know whether the "torpedo" bats are effective.

The Yankees are the runaway leaders in slugging (.630), wOBA (.425) and wRC+ (178), per FanGraphs, but we're only eight games into the year. New York's best slugger, Aaron Judge, also remains a traditionalist with his choice of lumber.

In general, a lot of baseball fans believe the game has become too skewed toward pitching. Part of that is down to batters prioritizing the "three true outcomes," but pitchers are filthier than ever on the mound.

If "torpedo" bats help hitters even the scales a bit more, then it can only help improve baseball as an overall product.