Torpedo bats have taken the MLB world by storm in just the week or so since Opening Day.
The New York Yankees, who started using these specialized bats this season, have already hit 22 home runs since Thursday, May 27. The Yankees' 17 homers in four games even made an MLB record. So, it's understandable if other MLB teams became interested in acquiring these torpedo bats themselves. And, it sounds like the other teams acted fast in adding the bats to their stock.
ESPN recently spoke to Bobby Hillerich, vice president of production at Hillerich & Bradsby which makes Louisville Slugger bats, about the surge of torpedo bats this season. He admitted that all 30 MLB teams had requested the bats by the middle of this week, after the Yankees' nine home run game last Saturday against the Milwaukee Brewers.
"Every team started trying to get orders in," Hillerich said. "We're trying to scramble to get wood. And then it was: How fast can we get this to retail?"
The Cincinnati Reds specifically asked Hillerich & Bradsby for the bats for Monday's game vs. the Texas Rangers. Some of the workers drove to Cincinnati to have star Elly de la Cruz test out the torpedo bats. He ended up using one on Monday night and hit two home runs and produced seven RBIs.
MLB teams are obviously learning the power of the torpedo bats and want to see what the fuss is all about.
It sounds like the torpedo bats are here to stay in MLB, especially since every single team has shown interest in at least learning more about what these bats can do. This may not be the end of the evolution of bats in the MLB, either.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Every Single MLB Team Ordered Torpedo Bats Within Days of Yankees' Home Run Outburst.