Torpedo bats are currently the talk of the MLB world and while the jury is still out on just how impactful the new design has been on batted balls, the early results we’ve seen this season have been eye-opening.
That begs the question for DFS and betting aficionados: Who exactly is using these bats?
The number of players will surely rise, especially if torpedo bats keep being connected to this many home runs, but here’s a list of all the confirmed users we have five days into the season.
List of Players Using Torpedo Bats
3B Jazz Chisholm, Yankees
SS Anthony Volpe, Yankees
1B Paul Goldschmidt, Yankees
OF Cody Bellinger, Yankees
C Austin Wells, Yankees
OF Davis Schneider, Blue Jays
SS Francisco Lindor, Mets
SS Elly De La Cruz, Reds
C Jose Trevino, Reds
C Adley Rutschman, Orioles
SS Dansby Swanson, Cubs
SS Nico Hoerner, Cubs
3B Junior Caminero, Rays
C Ryan Jeffers, Twins
If some of those names come as a shock, it’s a good reminder that this isn’t The Natural. There’s no magic bat that suddenly gives players superpowers. For as fantastic as the Yankees have looked to begin the season, context is everything. New York plays at one of the most hitter-friendly parks in all of baseball — one that ranked as the top home run stadium in the American League from 2022 to 2024 according to Baseball Savant’s Park Factors. The Yankees were also facing a Brewers team that is riddled with pitcher injuries, forcing a couple of guys to make their MLB debut last weekend. Add in putrid average fastball velocity as a staff, and you’ve got a recipe for a run-scoring bonanza.
That’s not to say the torpedo bats have had zero impact, it’s just currently unclear how much of Jazz Chisholm or Anthony Volpe’s early success we can attribute to the lumber.
Elly De La Cruz made headlines on Monday night with a massive performance while using the torpedo bat for the first time. However, De la Cruz was already someone who posted 90th percentile average bat speed (75.2) and 88th percentile average exit velocity (91.8) in 2024. Heck, his 110.2 mph batted ball event from the 14-3 victory doesn’t even come close to his career-high set back in 2023 (119.2).
On the opposite end of the spectrum, you’ll find Francisco Lindor, who is 0-for-11 to begin his 2025 with an underwhelming .246 expected wOBA. Jose Trevino, Ryan Jeffers and Davis Schneider are all also probably wondering if they got torpedo bats from the same shipment as the Yankees and De La Cruz.
It’s early. It’s exciting. Just make sure to keep your expectations and opinion of the torpedos relatively grounded until we have a larger sample of data to draw conclusions from.
