The New York Yankees have been on fire this season and part of that success could be thanks to a MIT physicist who created the controversial ‘torpedo’ bats, which MLB has already confirmed are legal.
In the first three games of the season, the Yankees hit 15 home runs, tying the all-time record set by the Detroit Tigers in 2006 at the start of the campaign. The Bronx Bombers swept the series against the Brewers with three undisputed victories by 4-2 on Opening Day, 20-9 on Saturday night and 12-3 on Sunday
The innovation of the ‘torpedo’ bats is attributed to Aaron Leanhardt, a former Yankees analyst who was hired as the Marlins’ field coordinator last winter. The creator of the bats explained how they work: “It’s really just about making the bat as heavy and thick as possible in the area where you’re trying to do damage to the ball.”
It’s simply about making the bat as heavy and thick as possible in the area where you’re trying to do damage to the ball
Why are ‘torpedo’ bats legal in MLB?
MLB confirmed that the bats do not violate league rules or bat supplier regulations. Rule 3.02 states that bats may not be more than 2.61 inches in diameter and 42 inches in length, which is not the case
Bats are designed with more wood, which is concentrated in the area of the bat where the batter is most likely to hit the ball. Depending on the swing and style of each player, the bat is slightly different, but the shape of the bat is always designed to maximize contact on any swing
Who is Aaron Leanhardt, the genius behind the ‘torpedo’ bats?
Leanhardt is the man of the moment in Major League Baseball and he has never played in it. According to his LinkedIn profile, he has a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from the University of Michigan and a PhD in physics from MIT. He was also a professor of physics at the University of Michigan from 2007 to 2014.
Leanhardt began training in the Atlantic League in 2017, then went on to coach a community college in Montana before joining the Yankees in 2018. He later became a “Major League analyst,” where the Yankees claim he was “responsible for integrating the use of quantitative information with on-field performance and preparation.”
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