Yankees' Aaron Judge Explains Not Using 'Torpedo' Bat During 2025 MLB Season

The New York Yankees have new custom bats that have led to some early offensive success, but star Aaron Judge has opted not to use a "torpedo bat" this year.

When asked why he isn't using a torpedo bat, Judge said he can hit the bell just as well without one.

“What I’ve done the past couple of seasons speaks for itself," he said, per MLB.com's Bryan Hoch.

The Yankees' new bats have a shape that puts more wood into the label, so the sweet spot on the bat hits the ball more often. According to The Athletic's Chris Kirschner, a spokesperson from MLB said the bats don't violate the rules.

Even though the bats are legal, Judge doesn't want one, nor does he need one. The reigning AL MVP is off to a tremendous start, hitting four home runs in the Yankees' first three games, setting a franchise record for the most home runs in the first three games of a season.

He hit three on Saturday before hitting his fourth in a 12-3 win on Sunday.

Judge is coming off a season in which he hit 58 homers and 144 RBI with a .322 batting average—all without using a custom bat. Considering his past success, it's hard to imagine Judge will transition to the new bats any time soon.

While Judge has no interest in the new bats, his teammates are excelling with them. The Yankees set a team record on Saturday when they blasted nine home runs in a 20-9 win over the Brewers. Judge had three of those while Paul Goldschmidt, Cody Bellinger, Jazz Chisholm Jr., Anthony Volpe, Austin Wells and Oswald Peraza collected the other six.

After a 3-0 start, the Yankees will look for Judge to continue doing his thing while counting on the rest of their players to continue thriving with the new bats.