Yankees’ Giancarlo Stanton will keep using torpedo bats despite questions surrounding his recent injuries. The powerful designated hitter expressed his commitment to the innovative bat design, even as he deals with pain in both elbows. However, he refrained from commenting on whether the new model might have contributed to his current condition.
“You’re not going to get the story you’re looking for,” Stanton stated on Tuesday, just before the New York Yankees began a three-game series against the Arizona Diamondbacks. “So if that’s what you guys want, that ain’t going to happen.”
The torpedo bats gained national attention when Cody Bellinger, Jazz Chisholm Jr., Paul Goldschmidt, Anthony Volpe, and Austin Wells used them to hit nine of New York’s 15 home runs during their season-opening sweep of the Milwaukee Brewers.
Developed by Aaron Leonhardt, a former Yankees front-office staffer and MIT physicist now with the Miami Marlins, the bats have sparked discussions about their design and effectiveness. Leonhardt mentioned that the concept dates back to 2023 but emphasized that the success of the bats relies heavily on the skill of the players using them.
Stanton remarked, “It makes a lot of sense. But it’s like, why hasn’t anyone thought of it in 100-plus years? It’s explained simply, and then you try it as long as it’s comfortable in your hand.”
Currently, Stanton is still experiencing discomfort and has begun using the Trajekt machine, which simulates high-velocity and live pitching. His rehabilitation is in its early phases, and the 35-year-old expects to require a minor league rehab assignment after missing all of spring training and not swinging a bat since January.
“This is very unique,” Stanton noted. “I definitely haven’t missed a full spring before. It will just depend on timing, really.”
In the 2024 postseason, Stanton delivered a solid performance, batting .273 with seven home runs and 16 RBIs, contributing to the Yankees’ first World Series appearance since 2009. However, he revealed that he had not swung a bat for three or four weeks due to elbow pain, leading to three rounds of platelet-rich plasma injections.
During the previous regular season, Stanton posted a batting average of .233, hitting 27 home runs and driving in 72 RBIs while appearing in 114 games. His season was disrupted by a strained left hamstring that sidelined him for nearly a month.
Stanton, who signed a then-record $325 million, 13-year contract with the Miami Marlins ahead of the 2015 season, recorded an impressive 59 home runs and 132 RBIs in 2017, earning the NL MVP award. He joined the Yankees in December 2017, making a significant impact with 38 home runs and 100 RBIs in his debut season.
However, Stanton’s career has been marred by injuries, as he missed 266 of 708 games over five seasons due to various ailments, including strains of the right biceps, right knee, and left hamstring, among others.
