It sounds like the torpedo bat is here to stay.
Giancarlo Stanton said he would continue to use the bat when he returns from the elbow tendinitis that landed him on the injured list.
There had been thought that experimenting with the new-shaped bats might have led to the injury, since Stanton said last month at Yankees spring training in Tampa that it was due to “probably some bat adjustments” last season without elaborating.
Asked Tuesday if he was referring to the torpedo bat, Stanton said, “You’re not gonna get the story you’re looking for.”
But given the fact Stanton intends to stick with the bat, it seems clear he’s not concerned his current bat caused the injury.
Yankees officials also dismissed the idea that the bat, with the barrel shifted, might play a role in injuries.
It’s not just at the major league level, as one of the organization’s top hitting prospects, Spencer Jones, said Tuesday that he intended to use one this season after receiving it toward the end of spring training.
Certainly, that the Yankees torched the Brewers for 36 runs in a three-game sweep, including 32 runs in the final two games and nine homers in Saturday’s win, has increased interest in the bat.
Aaron Boone said players would only use the bat if they were comfortable with it and the team won’t mandate it.
“To each their own,” Boone said. “We want to create an environment where we’re not missing anything [and that] we’re not missing any chance to help a player become their best or optimize a player. Ultimately, it’s up to the players.”
The Yankees aren’t alone in their development of the bat, with several teams around the league introducing it this season.
Still, Boone believes the Yankees will continue to have an advantage.
Just because an organization is aware of what the Yankees and other teams are doing doesn’t mean they’ll be able to replicate the success.
“[Hearing about it is] different than knowing,’’ Boone said. “There’s a lot more that goes into it. A lot went into doing that for our individual guys. It’s a lot more than the look of the bat.”
As one Yankee official said Tuesday of the attention the bats are getting: “It’s the artist, not the brush.”
As Boone noted, “You’re trying to just optimize the weight of the bat and take out some wasted spots you don’t use.”
Stanton and ex-Yankee Jose Trevino were among the players using the bat in 2024, but it’s more widespread during the early part of this season.
“You’re trying, where you can on the margins, move the needle a little bit,’’ Boone said. “And that’s really all you’re doing. I don’t think this is some kind of revelation. It’s not related to the weekend we had.”
As Milwaukee manager Pat Murphy said over the weekend, they will have “to stand the test of time” before it’s known if they’re really more effective than traditional bats.
But the Yankees making home run history in their season-opening series in The Bronx helped.
They tied a major league record with 15 homers in their first three games of the season and tied a franchise mark with 13 home runs in two games.
