NEW YORK — “Is this real?”

Yankees slugger Aaron Judge was genuinely surprised to learn that the Yankees’ new torpedo bats have garnered so much national interest over the past 24 hours. The Yankees captain said he has absolutely no interest in trying or using the new bats at this point in his career. 

“I think what I did last year speaks for itself,” Judge, the reigning American League MVP, said at Yankee Stadium on Sunday morning. “Why change something — why add a new factor if you got something that’s working?”

Judge isn’t using the new equipment, but at least a handful of his Yankees teammates are employing torpedo bats. Outfielder Cody Bellinger estimated that five Yankees hitters, including himself, are using the new bat model. Slugger Giancarlo Stanton used the torpedo bat last season. Shortstop Anthony Volpe and second baseman Jazz Chisholm are also among those trying out the innovative design. 

The torpedo bat resembles a bowling pin because the barrel was moved a little further down and closer to the label. The bat shape is uniquely designed for each hitter’s sweet spot, or the area on the bat where he most often makes contact with the ball. If a hitter is used to hitting the ball on the label, the torpedo bats are designed so that there is more wood — and more mass — in that sweet spot. In that way, the harder and fatter part of the bat is striking the ball.

According to a league source, the bat shape does not violate the Official Baseball Rules or the Bat Supplier Regulations. 

“Other teams can do it too,” said Yankees top prospect Jasson Dominguez, who prefers not to use a torpedo bat. “It’s not just us.”

New York’s funky-looking bats became a widespread talking point on Saturday after they contributed to the Yankees hitting a franchise-record nine home runs in their 20-9 win over the Brewers. 

“The Yankee front office, the analytics department, did a study on Anthony Volpe,” YES Network broadcaster Michael Kay explained on Saturday. “And every single ball, it seemed like he hit on the label. He didn’t hit any on the barrel. So they had bats made up where they moved a lot of the wood into the label. So the harder part of the bat is actually going to strike the ball.”

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The torpedo bat model was reportedly designed by MIT-educated physicist Aaron Leanhardt, who was a member of the Yankees analytics department last year. Leanhardt was the lead analyst in the Yankees front office in 2024 before he joined the Miami Marlins’ coaching staff this past offseason.

The Yankees aren’t the only team in the league trying out new bat models. Bellinger said he first used a torpedo bat last year while he played for the Chicago Cubs, but he only swung with it during batting practice because that model didn’t feel comfortable enough in his hand to use it during the game. 

“We were all kind of looking at this bat like, ‘What is this thing?’ because it’s so unique,” Bellinger said.

He finally tried a model that he liked before spring training this year and has stuck with it ever since. Multiple players said one of the benefits of the bat design is its weight distribution. Bellinger said his new Louisville bat is about an ounce lighter than the ones he previously used, and he likes that the weight of the bat is now closer to his hands. But some Yankees hitters said they didn’t like the feel of the new bats, while others said they didn’t even want to try them.

“It’s going to be hit-or-miss with guys that liked it, that feel good with it in their hands, or that don’t,” Bellinger said.

There was a significant amount of trial and error involved for the Yankees hitters, who agreed to experiment with the new bats. Bellinger said he tried 4-5 different bats before he settled on one he liked. Volpe said the first mockup that was given to him in spring training this year was “horrible” because it was too light. But the second version was just right. Even if the torpedo bats help the Yankees foul off just one more pitch a season, then it buys them one more chance, and it gives them an extra edge, the shortstop said. 

“We’re trying to win on the margins, and that shows up in so many different ways,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. “We have a big organization that’s invested in a lot of different things. We’re trying to be better in every possible way. The reality is it’s all within major-league standards. 

“When I played, I probably used six, seven, eight different modeled bats throughout my career, within a season. I used a different shaped bat for a lefty, a different one for a righty. Those things aren’t new. There’s just more people pouring in trying to optimize guys as best we can. Not much different than if any of you play golf. Back in the day, you had your set of clubs and you went out and played. Now, you get in a simulator, and you’re trying to optimize as best as you can.”

Boone downplayed the idea that the new bat design could be a breakthrough in the sport. Nevertheless, multiple Yankees players said they expect the torpedo bats to become more popular throughout the league. 

“Every time we’re on base, one of the guys is asking about it,” Volpe said. “I think that was always going to happen. I’m sure there’s a part of our clubhouse and our team that would’ve wanted it to be a secret. But it was always going to get out.”

Judge was categorically uninterested in the torpedo bats one day after he slugged three home runs, including a grand slam, against the Brewers on Saturday in the Bronx. But, things can change. As he gets older and deeper into his career, Judge said he might consider employing some of the newer equipment and technology into his game. 

“There’s a lot of new things in the game,” Judge said. “They’ve added the little hockey puck on the bottom of some guys’ bats to add a counterweight. You got the torpedo bats. You got all kinds of things. Hopefully, if my career goes on, maybe I can throw some of those in if I start losing something.”

It’s safe to say Judge’s decline is a distant reality. A couple of hours after he scoffed at the idea of using a torpedo bat, Judge parked his fourth home run of the season into the left-field seats in the Bronx. Like his teammates said, the new bats aren’t for everyone.

Deesha Thosar is a MLB reporter and columnist for FOX Sports. She previously covered the Mets for four years as a beat reporter for the New York Daily News. Follow her on Twitter at @DeeshaThosar.

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