Can Torpedo Bats Save America's Pastime?

The changes torpedo bats bring will positively affect baseball and reflect a broader shift to make it a faster, flashier, and more fan-friendly sport. To understand why these changes matter, it’s important to look at the deeper issues baseball has been facing and how innovations like the torpedo bat might be the solution.

In 1978, during baseball’s peak era, the World Series viewership rating was 32.8 with 44,278,950 viewers. Since then, viewership has gradually declined and eventually reached an all-time low in 2023 with a 4.7 rating and only 9,082,00 viewers. The main problems contributing to baseball’s popularity decline are entertainment, time, and consistency. As of 2023, the average baseball game lasted up to three hours with 1.2-1.4 home runs per game, reinforcing the stereotyped slow-paced and unenthusiastic baseball game. In addition, viewers have come to realize that there is no guaranteed entertainment, unlike other sports. For example, when you watch a basketball game, it’s expected that renowned players like LeBron James will perform and put on a show. However, in baseball, even popular players and historic hitters can’t guarantee entertainment or a home run. Aaron Judge, who achieved the milestone of 321 home runs in his first 1000 games—more than any other player in MLB history—only has an average of 11.3 at bats per home run. This inconsistency, even from top players, coupled with a three-hour game, makes it difficult to genuinely enjoy watching baseball. In a time where short-form content is particularly desired, and the average adult has an attention span of  “8.25 seconds, which is less than the goldfish'’s nine-second attention span,” baseball has moved down the entertainment hierarchy. 

Torpedo bats directly combat these problems. MLB commissioner Rob Manfred agreed, saying that “the torpedo bat is ‘absolutely good for baseball.’” The Yankees proved this when—through the use of torpedo bats—they hit 15 home runs in their first three games of the 2025 season, tying an MLB record. The higher potential home run percentage from using these bats makes the game more exciting and consistent. In addition, the discussions and debates torpedo bats spark have renewed interest in baseball or, at least, a controversy-induced interest that can be positively harnessed. As Professor of Sport Management at Syracuse University Rick Burton notes, “When it comes to baseball gear innovation, two forces decide what lasts: universality and cultural fit. If a new tool passes both tests, it joins the game. If it doesn’t, it becomes a historical curiosity.” Some critics argue that torpedo bats violate both universality and cultural fit and won’t be a lasting gear innovation. Their first concern is that the cost of the new, specially made, and trending bats is unrealistic for some. The second is that the untraditional design makes adjusting to the new bat awkward for many players and can force them to learn swings that stray from conventional practice. Overall, there is a concern that the effect of the bat, the change in the number of home runs, and general gameplay are shifts away from traditional baseball. 

However, these changes are not negative; they have the potential to revive baseball from its recent viewership slump. All innovative tools start exclusive and later evolve in terms of spheres of influence and accessibility; the aluminum bat and sliding glove were once viewed as threats to the culture and tradition of the sport, but over time and with continued use, their performance value was recognized. Even the recent addition of the pitch clock in 2023 was initially controversial. The clock was another attempt to make baseball faster and more entertaining, giving pitchers 15 seconds to throw with bases empty and 20 seconds with runners on. It also requires hitters to be ready in eight seconds or face penalties. Though this addition was originally viewed as a threat to the traditional rhythm of gameplay, many happily welcomed the change in pace after the clock reduced average game time by 24 minutes.

As for cost, equipment prices—and their accompanying lack of accessibility—are not exclusive to baseball and likely cannot be solved in our lifetime. When something is new or trendy, it will inherently be more expensive. As baseball evolves and the value of torpedo bats is slowly recognized, the prices will become more realistic for all, and the game will modernize.

With innovations like the torpedo bat, baseball is finally embracing the need to evolve and conform to modern interests. Though untraditional, these changes offer the entertainment, consistency, and pace that baseball desperately needs for renewed cultural relevance. If the sport and its fans continue to lean into innovation, baseball has the potential to revive viewership and popularity in a way we haven’t seen for years.