Developed by a physicist, these bats have their widest part, called the barrel, closer to the player's hands to offer a better chance of hitting the ball on their "sweet spot"

Among the Yankees hitters who are using it, Anthony Volpe is a model for poor hitters who might see the torpedo bat as hope of becoming a good hitter. He's gained nearly 2 mph in average bat speed and 0.8 mph in average exit velocity.

It makes sense, then, that the talk around Major League Baseball after Opening Weekend concerned not a player or a team, a play or a result, but a piece of lumber: the torpedo bat. After speaking on Monday with various front-office personnel,