The “torpedo bat” — with its distinctive bowling-pin shape — is baseball's latest obsession, shaking up MLB with its curious design and surprising results. What started as a training tool created in a Connecticut shed by a tight-knit family has exploded into the majors, thanks in part to viral performances by the Yankees, who lit up the scoreboard using torpedo bats. Now, Tater Baseball — the small family-run brand behind it — is flooding with requests from pros like Starling Marte, all eager to tap into this trend that promises more bat speed, better contact, and a sweet spot designed to match hitters’ swing data. While originally built for training, the torpedo has made the jump to games, raising eyebrows, batting averages, and questions about the future of bat design in the big leagues.

Key Points:

• What’s a Torpedo Bat? A uniquely-shaped baseball bat resembling a bowling pin. Initially designed as a training bat, it narrows toward the barrel, helping hitters focus on sweet-spot contact and generate quicker swings.

• Tater Baseball: A family-run company (founded in 2015) in Cheshire, Connecticut. Brothers Freddie and Jeremiah Vargas, alongside their father Fred Sr., developed torpedo bats — first for softball, then for baseball.

• Viral Breakout: After Yankees hitters used torpedo bats to crush 15 home runs in a 3-game sweep, the design went viral. Starling Marte saw the highlights and immediately called Tater to place his order.

• Custom Fit: Players submit swing data (like barrel contact points), which Tater uses to custom-design each bat. For Marte, the torpedo bat moved the sweet spot 0.6 inches closer to his hands: “A small difference, but a big difference,” said Fred Sr.

• Performance Boost: The barrel’s shape consolidates the mass at the sweet spot, increasing density for more ‘pop’ off the bat. Tater typically recommends 1 ounce heavier for torpedo bats to balance the shape.

• Not Just Talk: Players like Teoscar Hernández, the Mets’ Starling Marte, and top prospects Travis Bazzana and Nick Kurtz are already on board. About 150 professional players currently swing Tater bats at least part-time.

• Swag Factor: Tater customizes bats with player-themed designs (like the “Mr. Seeds” sunflower bat for Hernández), though restrictions from MLB limit what’s allowed in games.

• Production: Bats are handcrafted in batches of up to 150 per day, made from Canadian birch or maple and CNC-machined, hand-sanded, cupped, and lacquered.

• Market Disruption: The MLB bat scene is dominated by Marucci and Victus (owned by Marucci), commanding about 60% of the market. Tater ranks around 7th or 8th but is gaining ground quickly due to the torpedo buzz.

• The Future? As Jeremiah Vargas puts it: “There’s going to be a significant uptick in the guys using the torpedo bats.” But traditional game bats likely won’t disappear — just make room for the new weapon in the dugout.

Quote of the Episode:
“We make what we call an underload trainer that is shaped like a torpedo... Players wanted a sweet spot where they typically impact it, and that’s what we kind of came up with,” - Jeremiah Vargas, Tater co-founder.

Sources: ESPN (Jeff Passan and Buster Olney's coverage), verified via Tater Baseball and MLB bat manufacturer data.
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