No such thing as a magic bat

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No such thing as a magic bat

Published: 09 May. 2025, 00:05

Audio report: written by reporters, read by AI

Song Ji-hoon

The author is a staff writer of the JoongAng Ilbo.

The breakout story of this MLB season has been the sudden rise of the so-called torpedo bat. Players not previously known for power hitting began launching home runs after switching to the new model, sending teams, fans and even league officials into a frenzy. When five of nine New York Yankees batters equipped with torpedo bats hit 17 home runs over the team’s first four games, the league took notice.

Jared Smith speaks about torpedo baseball bat during an interview at Victus Sports in Pennsylvania on April 2. [AP/YONHAP]

The torpedo bat’s popularity has quickly spread beyond MLB. In Japan, both professional and amateur leagues approved its use in official games last month. While Korea and Taiwan have not yet cleared it for league play, teams are already stockpiling the bat, which some have dubbed a magic wand. The Lotte Giants made headlines recently when several torpedo bats were spotted at their training facility.

The bat’s design breaks from convention. Traditional bats are heaviest at the end opposite the grip, but the torpedo bat bulges toward the barrel, creating a shape reminiscent of its namesake. The goal was to enlarge the “sweet spot” — the area of the bat that generates optimal contact. The credibility of this innovation has been bolstered by its creator: Aaron Linhart, a former University of Michigan physics professor who left academia to work in professional baseball. Now the Miami Marlins’ field coordinator, Linhart used swing data to develop the new bat.

But the early promise of the torpedo bat is beginning to fade. Many players who adopted it are now struggling, posting declining batting averages and slugging percentages. Analysts point to two main reasons: hitters, perhaps overconfident in the bat’s power, are swinging more aggressively; and pitchers, adapting quickly, are increasingly targeting low and outside corners to avoid the bat’s enlarged sweet spot.

Miami Marlins field coordinator Aaron Leanhardt helped develop the torpedo bat. [AP/YONHAP]

The torpedo bat was expected to rewrite baseball history, but its recent decline is a reminder that no piece of equipment can guarantee miraculous results. The “scientific bat,” crafted from physics and big data, still requires the discipline and poise of the hitter to be effective. Ironically, the bat’s modified sweet spot also shifts power away from the end of the barrel, making poor contact more likely to result in weak hits rather than home runs.

It’s tempting to wish for a “torpedo bat” in life — one swing to change everything. But as Linhart himself has said, the difference between a flyout and a home run lies not in the bat, but in the batter. That, at least, remains true — and perhaps, reassuring.

Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.