The article discusses a moment from the Philadelphia Phillies' home opener where Bryce Harper nearly hit a home run. It highlights the intriguing impact of bat design, specifically the torpedo bat, which is wider closer to the center. The recent high-scoring game by the New York Yankees has drawn attention to these bats, as several players attributed their home run success to this equipment. While not all power hitters use them, the conversation around their effectiveness continues in the baseball community.
Unlike normal wooden bats, which are widest close to the end, torpedo bats are slightly fatter a few inches closer to the middle. That means that they carry more of their weight in the spot where players tend to hit the ball.
The spotlight on torpedo bats intensified after the Yankees' game, where they notably hit nine home runs, raising questions about the equipment used by players.
Baseball is a game of big distances, but also of little ones. So something with even a modest effect on the trajectory of the ball is intriguing.
Not all Yankees who hit home runs were using torpedo bats; Aaron Judge, who hit three including a grand slam, wasn't. But several of them were.
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