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A torpedo “bat” of innovation?
A “bat” isn’t always just a bat. Sometimes it’s a perfect alchemy of data, science, and ingenuity. The “Torpedo” bat, which is making waves in Major League Baseball, serves as a perfect example. During opening weekend, the New York Yankees hit 15 home runs, partially attributed to their hitters using bats with a distinctive “Torpedo” barrel. Unlike traditional baseball bats, the new design positions the barrel closer to the hitter’s hands.
Leonardo da Vinci observed, “Nature is full of infinite causes that have never occurred in experience.” His insight about nature achieving similar outcomes through various means parallels this baseball innovation. Like patterns in nature, the Torpedo bat represents a novel approach to achieving a familiar goal: hitting a baseball farther.
Unlike traditional bats, Torpedo models are tailored to each player’s hitting mechanics, with the barrel optimized for their unique point of contact with the baseball. “Some batters just can’t seem to hit the sweet spot, so they’re trying to move the sweet spot to the batter,” said Lloyd Smith, director of Washington State University’s renowned “Bat Lab.”
The physics behind the new bat design centers on weight distribution and contact optimization. The bats shift mass closer to the hands, reducing the moment of inertia and making them easier to swing and control. Though this might seem counterintuitive for power hitting, the design achieves a careful balance between swing speed and impact force.
This isn’t a minor tweak — it’s fundamentally rethinking what’s possible. Aaron Leanhardt, a former Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) physicist who worked as an analyst with the Yankees before joining the Miami Marlins, spearheaded the bat redesign. ““And every now and then, it takes a little bit of time to question what you’re doing,” Leanhardt said in an interview with MLB.com. “And so a couple years ago, some of the hitters started questioning what they were doing. And I just kind of responded to their questions.”
The Torpedo bat, with its distinctive bowling pin-like design, proves that even products with 100 years of history can be revolutionized through a precise combination of data, design, and scientific analysis. It also illustrates that established order is often transformed by outsiders who aren’t bound by traditional thinking. Just as Apple revolutionized mobile phones in 2007 by abandoning physical keyboards, Leanhardt’s physics-based approach challenged baseball’s century-old assumptions about bat design.
Another thing I have learned from watching innovators closely is that innovation walks a fine line between regulation and revolution. This bat is yet another example of what I have seen in Silicon Valley. The Torpedo bats are within Major League Baseball’s requirements yet transform the game. YouTube pioneered video sharing while navigating copyright laws, Uber reimagined transportation despite taxi regulations, and OpenAI is developing artificial intelligence within a very gray regulatory framework.
Around these parts, Silicon Valley, that is, thinking differently is the norm. Innovators routinely reinvent products and explore new directions. Google’s approach to infrastructure led to today’s hyperscale internet systems, while Amazon Web Services transformed enterprise software and hardware businesses.
The Nest thermostat offers another example of reimagining everyday objects. The device transformed a mundane household fixture, largely unchanged since the 1880s, into an intelligent and beautiful control center through great design and technology. It took Tony Fadell, a former Apple executive, to revolutionize its potential. Due to my condo’s restrictions, I’m relegated to using one of the older thermostats. I often sigh in frustration, wondering: Why can’t I use Nest?
In my condo, I have a Dyson vacuum cleaner and a Dyson fan. They are the brain child of James Dyson who revolutionized vacuum cleaners in 1993 by approaching the problem with fresh eyes. While competitors remained fixated on bag-based systems, he developed cyclonic separation technology. His willingness to challenge conventional wisdom turned Dyson into a multibillion-dollar global brand, with annual revenues exceeding $9 billion in 2024.
Even something as simple as a pen can be reimagined. Philadelphia pen maker Ian Schon questioned the fundamental design of fountain pen nibs. Instead of following traditional manufacturing methods, Schon created the Monoc nib, which is carved from a solid piece of titanium. Rather than merely updating an existing design, he challenged core assumptions about nib manufacturing, creating something entirely new while respecting the heritage of fountain pens.
Sometimes innovation doesn’t mean inventing something entirely new— it could simply reinventing the obvious.
April 4, 2025. San Francisco
PS: Andy Abramson draws the parallel between the torpedo bat and the curved hockey sticks used in ice hockey!
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Have you tried the Monoc nib? Never heard of it before. It looks nice, smooth.
I have it on one of Ian’s pens. I bought the original nib. Didn’t like it. Sold it. Both the new fine version of the nib. Kept it. And now just bought a cursive italic nib. It is very different from all the nibs I have used. I think it is a very unique in how it feels and how it writes. Get the cursive italic nib as the reverse tip is nice and juicy fat broad.
I’ve never owned any Dyson product. What makes the Dyson fan so special?
If a hitter’s “sweet spot” is focused on the inside half of the plate, the torpedo is designed to make that part of the bat fatter and, I suppose, taper it a bit at the end. But that should make the bat more durable than the older style bats with thin inside handles that would fly apart on foul balls.
And I wonder how long it will be before they start making these things in aluminum for minor league and college hitters, and then on down the line to your kid’s next Little League opponents?
An even stronger comparison would be the (1970s?) introduction of aluminium-framed tennis racquets with oversized heads. The larger sweet spot meant players could hit much harder, and changed the game considerably.
Some professional players wanted the huge racquets banned, saying they made the game ‘too easy’. Fans, though, liked the increased pace and drama. Obviously the grognards were correct; tennis went into a terrible decline and no one enjoys it any more. /s
Similarly, I suspect, baseball fans would rather see higher scores and more home runs. Up to a point, more scoring equals more excitement. That ‘point’ is seen in basketball, where scoring is frequent but so balanced as to lose its emotional impact; a 101–100 win always sounds (to me, an outsider) like a draw.
BUT, I’m not a sports-fan, just an observer of the many who are, so who knows?
Great piece – as usual. I’m continually fascinated by the fact that the overall design of the bicycle hasn’t changed since the Rover Safety Bicycle was introduced in 1885. Obviously we’ve seen numerous technical improvements but the basic design hasn’t changed since. I keep wondering whether anyone will ever invent “a better bike”.