
NHL Power Rankings: New 1-32 poll, plus biggest concern for each team
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1 year agoon
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Kristen Shilton, ESPN NHL reporterOct 27, 2023, 08:00 AM ET
Close- Kristen Shilton is a national NHL reporter for ESPN.
With a little more than two weeks of the season in the books, some early problems have emerged for each club.
In this week’s edition of the NHL Power Rankings, we identify the biggest causes for concern — whether it’s a player, group, unit or something else entirely.
How we rank: A panel of ESPN hockey commentators, analysts, reporters and editors each send in a 1-32 poll based on the games through Wednesday, which generates our master list here.
Note: Previous ranking for each team refers to the preseason edition, published Oct. 9. Points percentages are through Thursday’s games.
Previous ranking: 1
Points percentage: 100.0%
Next seven days: vs. CHI (Oct. 27), @ LA (Oct. 28), vs. MTL (Oct. 30), vs. WPG (Nov. 2)
Vegas opened its season on a historic 6-0-0 run (the best ever by a reigning Stanley Cup champion). But is all going a little too well? The Golden Knights, perennial plagued by injuries, are healthy and thriving. Their overall numbers across the board are strong. So, is the other shoe just waiting to drop? Is Vegas too good to be true?
Previous ranking: 2
Points percentage: 85.7%
Next seven days: @ BUF (Oct. 29), vs. STL (Nov. 1)
Colorado’s dominance in every statistical category — including a record-setting string of road victories — makes it hard to poke holes in the team’s start. One potential point of concern is the backup goalie situation. Alexandar Georgiev is the only netminder Colorado has used (and he’s been fantastic), but with Pavel Francouz out indefinitely due to a groin injury, eventually the Avalanche will have to tap Ivan Prosvetov (veteran of 13 NHL games to date) for a start or two. Prosvetov’s results will indicate whether Colorado has a percolating problem. Prosvetov did make five saves on five shots in just over eight minutes of action Thursday.
Previous ranking: 10
Points percentage: 92.9%
Next seven days: vs. DET (Oct. 28), vs. FLA (Oct. 30), vs. TOR (Nov. 2)
Boston was among the NHL’s last undefeated teams for a reason — it is good (shocker). But have the Bruins truly faced a team on their level yet? Boston’s opening slate included just one matchup against a 2022-23 playoff team (Kings), two meetings apiece with the Ducks and Blackhawks and one with the Sharks. Boston hasn’t necessarily been taxed yet (and they did drop one to the Ducks). When the competition ramps up, will the Bruins still keep coming out on top?
Previous ranking: 7
Points percentage: 75.0%
Next seven days: vs. CBJ (Oct. 30), @ CGY (Nov. 1), @ EDM (Nov. 2)
Dallas has dealt with lackluster results on the power play in some games, most notably when Philadelphia rang up three (3!) short-handed goals while the Stars went 0-for-3 with an extra man. We know Dallas can score goals, but failing to capitalize on power plays — and having them become momentum killers by giving up shorties — is a rocky foundation to build the club’s special teams’ success.
Previous ranking: 21
Points percentage: 68.8%
Next seven days: @ BOS (Oct. 28), @ NYI (Oct. 30), vs. FLA (Nov. 2)
It’s tough to rain on the Red Wings’ parade. So, we won’t (much). It’s just that Detroit will not sustain all that’s made it an early power in the East, from a high shooting percentage (14.0%, third in the league) to goals scored per game (4.38, second). The concern is what happens when the league settles in, and Detroit can’t ring up that many markers. How will the Red Wings pivot and let other facets of the game shine? Time will tell if they are up for the challenge.
Previous ranking: 9
Points percentage: 71.4%
Next seven days: @ VAN (Oct. 28), @ WPG (Oct. 30), vs. CAR (Nov. 2)
New York is waiting on a true first test. Five of the Rangers’ first seven games were against non-playoff teams from last season. New York dropped decisions to Nashville and Columbus. The Rangers have high expectations and we’ll get a better sense of where they are when the competition factor ramps up.
Previous ranking: 6
Points percentage: 71.4%
Next seven days: @ NSH (Oct. 28), vs. LA (Oct. 31), @ BOS (Nov. 2)
Toronto has goaltending drama. Starter Ilya Samsonov has been woefully bad (he gave up three goals on four shots to Tampa Bay last week), while backup Joseph Woll has been surprisingly steady, including Thursday’s win over the Stars. What does that mean for the Leafs? Do they ride with Woll and potentially tank Samsonov’s confidence in October? That’s a sizeable decision to make this early.
Previous ranking: 12
Points percentage: 58.3%
Next seven days: @ ARI (Oct. 27), vs. VGK (Oct. 28), @ TOR (Oct. 31), @ OTT (Nov. 2)
It’s a small sample, but the Kings haven’t had much success yet on home ice. L.A.’s schedule seemed to favorably line up with a home-heavy start, and yet they’ve tallied a single win (1-2-1) in their building. Are the Kings destined to be road warriors, who can’t translate that same energy at home?
Previous ranking: 24
Points percentage: 66.7%
Next seven days: vs. STL (Oct. 27), vs. NYR (Oct. 28), vs. NSH (Oct. 31), @ SJ (Nov. 2)
Vancouver has come out stronger than expected thanks in large part to the play of captain Quinn Hughes. But it’s the workload Hughes (and partner Filip Hronek) are carrying that’s a concern. The Canucks’ top pairing is averaging nearly 25 minutes of ice time per game. Can they sustain that over an 82-game schedule? Coach Rick Tocchet might have to share the wealth for his top skaters to remain intact over the long run.
Previous ranking: 5
Points percentage: 58.3%
Next seven days: vs. BUF (Oct. 27), vs. MIN (Oct. 29), @ MIN (Nov. 2)
New Jersey’s defense has taken a step back. The losses of Damon Severson and Ryan Graves are glaring. Luke Hughes is young and making mistakes. John Marino isn’t playing his best. New Jersey’s goaltending has been fine but not nearly spectacular enough to account for the back end blunders. The Devils haven’t helped themselves by not scoring first in a single game either. Playing from behind rarely has benefits.
Previous ranking: 11
Points percentage: 62.5%
Next seven days: vs. SEA (Oct. 30), @ CBJ (Nov. 2)
Is Tampa Bay running out of steam? In some games already, that’s become a factor. The Lightning can get caught flat-footed in their zone against quick teams, unable to keep pace when the tempo increases. And in overtime? They’re barely able to pounce on a puck. The Lightning could use more life in their legs when a win hangs in the balance. Maybe shutting out Carolina this week will unlock more pep in the Lightning steps.
Previous ranking: 13
Points percentage: 50.0%
Next seven days: @ WSH (Oct. 27), @ NJ (Oct. 29), vs. NJ (Nov. 2)
The Wild miss Jared Spurgeon, Matt Boldy and Alex Goligoski), but especially Spurgeon (out with an upper-body injury). Minnesota has allowed the most goals per game (4.43) this season thanks to a defense made more porous by Spurgeon’s unavailability due to injury. Spurgeon has resumed skating, and that’s great news for the Wild, but they must patch up those defensive deficiencies before he returns.
Previous ranking: 8
Points percentage: 50.0%
Next seven days: vs. SEA (Oct. 28), @ BOS (Oct. 30), @ DET (Nov. 2)
Florida is mired in a mild identity crisis. Nearly half the Panthers’ skaters who started this season weren’t on the team last season. Sam Bennett was sidelined late in the preseason by injury, and Aaron Ekblad and Brandon Montour are out recovering from offseason surgery. It’s been tough for Florida to find its groove. And sitting at the bottom of the league on the penalty kill (65.4%) is an example of how those new-faces-in-new-places struggles manifest on the ice. Team chemistry will remain an important work in progress.
Previous ranking: 3
Points percentage: 50.0%
Next seven days: vs. SJ (Oct. 27), @ PHI (Oct. 30), @ NYR (Nov. 2)
Carolina’s prospects have gone from bad to worse. The Hurricanes already average the second highest goals-against average (4.38) in the NHL, a surprising stat given the club generally models a hard-hitting, defense-focused structure. Brett Pesce is out indefinitely with an injury, joining high-scoring winger Andrei Svechnikov on the sidelines. Carolina can’t outscore its own defensive issues while new faces — like Dmitry Orlov, a team-worst minus-11 — are struggling to fit in. The Hurricanes need solutions, and fast.
Previous ranking: 29
Points percentage: 64.3%
Next seven days: vs. ANA (Oct. 28), vs. CAR (Oct. 30), vs. BUF (Nov. 1)
Philadelphia ranks as an early surprise. The Flyers entered this week sitting first overall in the Metropolitan Division, and looks solid in most areas (especially after that 6-2 drubbing of the Wild). The issue is what does Philadelphia want this season? Do the Flyers want to be relevant in the standings? Or eye another draft lottery pick? Is it time to turn the corner, or not? If that’s a decision to make, it could spell plenty on the Flyers’ upcoming fates.
Previous ranking: 19
Points percentage: 42.9%
Next seven days: @ PIT (Oct. 28), vs. LA (Nov. 2)
Ottawa looked briefly like a top playoff contender. But after some down performances, the Senators need fine-tuning, particularly in goaltending (Anton Forsberg and Joonas Korpisalo are both sub-.900 in save percentage) and sloppy defensive play in their end (Ottawa has clearly missed Artem Zub in that respect). The Senators have worked long and hard to get their ducks in a proverbial row. This is not the time to let those details slack off.
Previous ranking: 20
Points percentage: 57.1%
Next seven days: @ MTL (Oct. 28), vs. NYR (Oct. 30), @ VGK (Nov. 2)
Winnipeg could easily overreact to Connor Hellebuyck looking average (.899 save percentage, 2.99 goals-against average) compared to the starter’s usual high standard of play. But it’s at least worth mentioning how Hellebuyck hasn’t seemed entirely himself yet. It took a bounce-back effort against Edmonton — in a game the Jets lost — for Hellebuyck to appear settled. But the Jets would ideally like some serious confidence (nightly) coming from their goalie, especially when backup Laurent Brossoit (.846 SV%, 4.04 GAA) isn’t jumping off the page, either.
Previous ranking: 22
Points percentage: 42.9%
Next seven days: vs. TOR (Oct. 28), @ VAN (Oct. 31), @ SEA (Nov. 2)
Nashville’s penalty kill has been tested often and it’s been a problem. The Predators have the second-worst penalty-killing rate (68.2%) and were tied for the third-most power-play goals against. When coach Andrew Brunette talks about Nashville dialing in the details — especially during close games — the overall performance on the PK can make a difference between two points and none at all.
Previous ranking: 25
Points percentage: 57.1%
Next seven days: vs. NYI (Oct. 28), @ DAL (Oct. 30), vs. TB (Nov. 2)
Columbus needs Patrik Laine healthy and producing at his usual clip. So, when Laine put an injury-filled 2022-23 behind him to start this season fresh (with two points in four games to boot), it was a good sign. Then an elbow to the head from Calgary’s Rasmus Andersson sidelined Laine and eventually landed him on injured reserve. It’s the worst possible tone to set for Laine, in a season where Columbus is aching for regular services from their elite forward.
Previous ranking: 17
Points percentage: 58.3%
Next seven days: @ CBJ (Oct. 28), vs. DET (Oct. 30), @ WSH (Nov. 2)
New York can’t simply hide behind great goaltending. Not anymore. It worked last season when Ilya Sorokin carried the Islanders into the postseason. This season has already shown that even a top-notch Sorokin can’t cover up New York’s lack of scoring and diminished defensive effort. Both need to improve, and fast, to take some pressure off their elite netminder.
Previous ranking: 27
Points percentage: 50.0%
Next seven days: vs. LA (Oct. 27), vs. CHI (Oct. 30), @ ANA (Nov. 1), vs. MTL (Nov. 2)
Arizona has strong performances to start the season, but those good vibes took a hit when Jason Zucker was listed week-to-week with a lower-body injury on Monday. The veteran has been part of the Coyotes’ top-heavy scoring stable, and now Arizona will have to challenge its depth to keep lighting the lamp. Can a player like Alexander Kerfoot — with zero points in his first six games — be a contributor?
Previous ranking: 14
Points percentage: 42.9%
Next seven days: vs. OTT (Oct. 28), vs. ANA (Oct. 30)
When Mike Sullivan talks about his team not playing “hard enough” or “smart enough” five games into the season, that’s a problem. Pittsburgh’s light early schedule should have boosted its confidence; instead, the Penguins look slow and often physically outmatched. Pittsburgh boasts exceptional veteran talent, but the team needs to hang its hat on more than just legacy.
Previous ranking: 28
Points percentage: 64.3%
Next seven days: vs. WPG (Oct. 28), @ VGK (Oct. 30), @ ARI (Nov. 2)
The Canadiens’ special teams have caused them trouble. In a loss to the Wild, the Canadiens gave up two short-handed and three power-play goals. Performances like that can haunt a team that’s fighting for wins, and the Canadiens don’t want to be trending in the wrong direction with both units. Stabilizing that area must be a focus (although their early success in the win column must not be overlooked either).
Previous ranking: 16
Points percentage: 42.9%
Next seven days: @ NJ (Oct. 27), vs. COL (Oct. 29), @ PHI (Nov. 1)
Buffalo is meant to be a playoff contender, but the Sabres haven’t consistently lived up to the hype. Goaltender Devon Levi being out with an injury won’t help. Buffalo is averaging fewer than three goals per game, which is a baffling development considering its depth of talent. And the Sabres rely too heavily on the top half of the lineup to get by. Is Buffalo still in a growing stage?
Previous ranking: 4
Points percentage: 21.4%
Next seven days: vs. CGY (Oct. 29), vs. DAL (Nov. 2)
Edmonton was messy before Connor McDavid suffered his upper-body injury late last week. The Oilers were beat up by Vancouver by a combined score of 12-4 over two tilts to start the season. Jack Campbell and Stuart Skinner have struggled in net (they’re the worst tandem in the league based on high-danger save percentage). Edmonton’s getting little production below its top six (the team’s collective shooting percentage: 7.8%). Its penalty kill is weak. Did we mention McDavid’s been out too? The Oilers aren’t catching any breaks.
Previous ranking: 15
Points percentage: 37.5%
Next seven days: @ FLA (Oct. 28), @ TB (Oct. 30), vs. NSH (Nov. 2)
Seattle started by losing five of its first six games. That was followed by Andre Burakovsky — one of its top forwards — undergoing a procedure to heal an upper-body issue that will keep him out for five to six weeks. Ouch. The Kraken have battled with consistent scoring, so what will losing Burakovsky do to their chances of staying in the hunt for weeks (and months)?
Previous ranking: 18
Points percentage: 31.3%
Next seven days: vs. EDM (Oct. 29), vs. DAL (Nov. 1)
Calgary’s star power is snuffed out. Nazem Kadri registered one assist through eight games. Jonathan Huberdeau has four points overall. And the generally listless Flames appear slow and lost with no direction or identity — which is exactly what Nikita Zadorov noted after Calgary’s poor five-game road trip. If former coach Darryl Sutter was thought to be creating issues, why haven’t the Flames picked up their pace?
Previous ranking: 26
Points percentage: 58.3%
Next seven days: @ VAN (Oct. 27), @ COL (Nov. 1)
St. Louis isn’t giving up much this season, but it isn’t scoring, either. The Blues are barely averaging two goals per game (2.17). It’s one thing to be defense-minded; it’s another to let that focus derail your offense. There are too many top scorers (Jordan Kyrou, anyone?) to keep letting that happen.
Previous ranking: 31
Points percentage: 42.9%
Next seven days: @ PHI (Oct. 28), @ PIT (Oct. 30), vs. ARI (Nov. 1)
Anaheim isn’t getting much offense out of its young collection of stars. The Ducks are among the bottom-dwellers in goals, and their power play is a miserable 4.2%. It’s all part of the pain associated with a rebuild, but frustrating nonetheless that Anaheim can’t find a spark up front more often to keep itself in the mix for longer stretches of games.
Previous ranking: 30
Points percentage: 28.6%
Next seven days: @ VGK (Oct. 27), @ ARI (Oct. 30)
Taylor Hall returned quickly from an injury earlier this month, but the top line winger reaggravated his shoulder and is out week-to-week. Without Hall, Connor Bedard will have to be breaking in a new linemate or two as Chicago shuffles the deck. It’s bound to have an impact on Bedard and the Blackhawks.
Previous ranking: 23
Points percentage: 41.7%
Next seven days: vs. MIN (Oct. 27), vs. SJ (Oct. 29), vs. NYI (Nov. 2)
Where are the Capital’s top goal scorers? They have not shown up enough. Evgeny Kuznetsov, Tom Wilson, Nicklas Backstrom and T.J. Oshie have zero goals, and Alex Ovechkin only scored his first couple of the season as the Capitals attempt to get on track. Scoring is a struggle (the whole team has combined for 12 goals in six games) and it will be a long year for Washington if its big names aren’t contributing regularly.
Previous ranking: 32
Points percentage: 7.1%
Next seven days: @ CAR (Oct. 27), @ WSH (Oct. 29), vs. VAN (Nov. 2)
San Jose will be the last team to win a game in regulation this season. When the Sharks are averaging the fewest goals scored and be among the highest goals against, it’s not surprising there are red flags all over San Jose.
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Jeff LegwoldApr 4, 2025, 12:41 PM ET
Close- Jeff Legwold covers the Denver Broncos at ESPN. He has covered the Broncos for more than 20 years and also assists with NFL draft coverage, joining ESPN in 2013. He has been a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame Board of Selectors since 1999, too. Jeff previously covered the Pittsburgh Steelers, Buffalo Bills and Houston Oilers/Tennessee Titans at previous stops prior to ESPN.
BOULDER, Colo. — A horde of NFL talent evaluators headed for the mountains Friday for the Colorado Showcase, where Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter was one of the big draws.
However, it was going to be a limited look at best as Hunter was not seen when players’ heights and weights were taken or for the jumps and 40-yard dash.
Hunter, who is expected to be a top-five selection in this year’s draft and is the No. 1 player on Mel Kiper Jr.’s Big Board, was initially not expected to participate in any on-field work, but Friday morning some scouts in attendance said they expected the two-way star to run routes as a receiver for quarterback Shedeur Sanders‘ throwing session.
Hunter did not work out at the scouting combine or Big 12 pro day but did meet with teams in Indianapolis. Sanders, one of the top quarterbacks on the board and Kiper’s No. 5 player overall, also did not work out at the combine.
Sanders’ brother, Colorado safety Shilo Sanders, measured in at 5-foot-11⅞, 196 pounds, but he did not participate in the jumps or bench press that opened the workout, citing a right shoulder injury.
The highly attended event — by scouts, coaches and personnel executives as well as fans packing small bleachers — had a festive atmosphere. Colorado coach Deion Sanders named it the “We Ain’t Hard 2 Find Showcase,” completed with a large lighted “showcase” sign next to the drills.
Hunter, who has said he wants to play offense and defense in the NFL, won the Chuck Bednarik (top defensive player) and Biletnikoff (top receiver) awards, in addition to the Heisman. He said whether he would primarily be a wide receiver or cornerback in the NFL “depended on the team that picks me.”
He had 96 catches for 1,258 yards and 15 touchdowns as a receiver last season to go with 35 tackles, 11 pass breakups and four interceptions at cornerback. In the Buffaloes’ regular-season finale against Oklahoma State, he became the only FBS player in the past 25 years with three scrimmage touchdowns on offense and an interception in the same game, according to ESPN Research.
Hunter played 1,380 total snaps in Colorado’s 12 regular-season games: 670 on offense, 686 on defense and 24 on special teams. He played 1,007 total snaps in 2023.
With all NFL eyes on the Colorado campus to see Sanders throw, one player who made the most of it was wide receiver Will Sheppard, who was not invited to the combine. Sheppard, who measured in at 6-2¼, 196 pounds, ran his 40s in 4.56 and 4.54 to go with a 40½-inch vertical jump and a 10-foot-11 in the broad jump.
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‘It’s taken on a life of its own’: Inside the 48 hours torpedo bats launched into baseball lore
Published
2 hours agoon
April 4, 2025By
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Buster OlneyApr 4, 2025, 12:00 PM ET
Close- Senior writer ESPN Magazine/ESPN.com
- Analyst/reporter ESPN television
- Author of “The Last Night of the Yankee Dynasty”
At 1:54 ET on Saturday afternoon, New York Yankees play-by-play man Michael Kay lit the fuse on what will be remembered as either one of the most metamorphic conversations in baseball history or one of its strangest.
During spring training, someone in the organization had mentioned to Kay that the team’s analytics department had counseled players on where pitches tended to strike their bats, and with subsequent buy-in from some of the players, bats had been designed around that information. In the hours before the Yankees’ home game against the Brewers that day, Kay told the YES Network production staff about this, alerting them so they could look for an opportunity to highlight the equipment.
After the Yankees clubbed four homers in the first inning, a camera zoomed in on Jazz Chisholm Jr.‘s bat in the second inning. “You see the shape of Chisholm’s bat…” Kay said on air. “It’s got a big barrel on it,” Paul O’Neill responded, before Kay went on to describe the analysis behind the bat shaped like a torpedo.
Chisholm singled to left field, and after Anthony Volpe worked the count against former teammate Nestor Cortes to a full count, Volpe belted a home run to right field using the same kind of bat. A reporter watching the game texted Kay: Didn’t he hit the meat part of the bat you were talking about — just inside where the label normally is?
Yep, Kay responded. Within an hour of Kay’s commentary, the video of Chisholm’s bat and Kay’s exchange with O’Neill was posted on multiple platforms of social media, amplified over and over. What happened over the next 48 hours was what you get when you mix the power of social media and the desperation of a generation of beleaguered hitters. Batting averages are at a historic low, strikeout rates at a historic high, and on a sunny spring day in the Bronx, here were the Yankees blasting baseballs into the seats with what seemed to be a strangely shaped magic bat.
An oasis of offense had formed on the horizon, and hitters — from big leaguers to Little Leaguers, including at least one member of Congress — paddled toward it furiously. Acres of trees will be felled and shaped to feed the thirst for this new style of bats. Last weekend, one bat salesman asked his boss, “What the heck have we done?”
Jared Smith, CEO of bat-maker Victus, said, “I’ve been making bats for 15, 16 years. … This is the most talked-about thing in the industry since I started. And I hope we can make better-performing bats that work for players.”
According to Bobby Hillerich, the vice president of production at Hillerich & Bradsby, his company — which is based in Louisville, Kentucky, and makes Louisville Slugger bats — had produced 20 versions of the torpedo bat as of this past Saturday, and in less than a week, that number has tripled as players and teams continually call in their orders.
Said Yankees manager Aaron Boone: “It’s taken on a life of its own.”
0:36
Olney: ‘Torpedo’ bats could be catching the eye of MLB teams
Buster Olney reports on the Braves exploring the new “torpedo” bats the Yankees have been using and how other teams could explore it as well.
Even though Saturday marked its launch into the mainstream, this shape of bat has actually been around for a while. Hillerich & Bradsby had its first contact with a team about the style in 2021 and had nondisclosure agreements with four teams as the bat evolved; back then, it was referred to as the “bowling pin” bat. The Cubs’ Nico Hoerner was the first major leaguer to try it — and apparently wasn’t comfortable with it. Cody Bellinger tried it when he was with the Cubs before joining the Yankees during the offseason.
Before Atlanta took the field Sunday night, Braves catcher Drake Baldwin recalled trying one in the Arizona Fall League last year (noting that his first impression was that it “looked weird”). Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor used it in 2024, in a year in which he would finish second in the NL MVP voting; Lindor’s was a little different from Volpe’s version, with a cup hollowed out at the end of the bat. Giancarlo Stanton swung one throughout his playoff surge last fall, but no one in the media noticed, perhaps because of how the pitch-black color of Stanton’s bat camouflaged the shape.
Minnesota manager Rocco Baldelli saw one in the Twins’ dugout during spring training and picked it up, his attention drawn to the unusual shape. “What the hell is this thing?” he asked, wondering aloud whether the design was legal. When he was assured it was, he put it back down.
Baldelli’s experience reflected the way hitters have used and assessed bats since the advent of baseball: They’ll pick up bats and see how they feel, their interest fueled by the specter of success. Tony Gwynn won eight batting titles, and many teammates and opposing hitters — Barry Bonds among them — asked whether they could inspect his bats. The torpedo bat’s arrival was simply the latest version of that long-held search for the optimal tool.
On Opening Day, eight teams had some version of the torpedo bat within their stock, according to one major league source. But with video of the Yankees’ home runs being hit off unusual bats saturating social media Saturday afternoon, the phone of Kevin Uhrhan, pro bat sales rep for Louisville Slugger, blew up with requests for torpedo bats. James Rowson, the hitting coach of the Yankees, began to get text inquiries — about 100, he later estimated. Everyone wanted to know about the bat; everyone wanted to get their own.
In San Diego, Braves players asked about the bats, and by Sunday morning, equipment manager Calvin Minasian called in the team’s order. By the middle of the week, all 30 teams had asked for the bats. “Every team started trying to get orders in,” Hillerich said. “We’re trying to scramble to get wood. And then it was: How fast can we get this to retail?”
Victus produces the bats Chisholm and Volpe are using and has made them available for retail. Three senior players, all in their 70s, stopped by the Victus store to ask about the torpedoes. A member of Congress who plays baseball reached out to Louisville Slugger.
The Cincinnati Reds contacted Hillerich & Bradsby, saying, “We need you in Cincinnati on Monday ASAP,” and soon after, Uhrhan and pro bat production manager Brian Hillerich, Bobby’s brother, made the 90-minute drive from the company’s factory in Louisville with test bats.
Reds star Elly De La Cruz tried a few, decided on a favorite and used it for a career performance that night.
“You can think in New York, maybe there was wind,” Bobby Hillerich said. “Elly hits two home runs and gets seven RBIs. That just took it to a whole new level.”
A few days after the Yankees’ explosion, Aaron Leanhardt, who had led New York’s effort to customize its bats as a minor league hitting coordinator before being hired by the Marlins as their field coordinator, was in the middle of a horseshoe of reporters, explaining the background. “There are a lot more cameras here today than I’m used to,” he said, laughing.
Stanton spoke with reporters about the simple concept behind the bat: build a design for where a hitter is most likely to make contact. “You wonder why no one has thought of it before, for sure,” Stanton said. “I didn’t know if it was, like, a rule-based thing of why they were shaped like that.”
Over and over, MLB officials assured those asking: Yes, the bats are legal and meet the sport’s equipment specifications. Trevor Megill, the Brewers’ closer, complained about the bats, calling them like “something used in slow-pitch softball,” but privately, baseball officials were thrilled by the possibility of seeing offense goosed, something they had been attempting through rule change in recent years.
“It’s all the rage right now, given what transpired over the weekend,” said Jeremy Zoll, assistant general manager of the Twins. “I’m sure more and more guys are going to experiment with it as a result, just to see if it’s something they like.”
That personal preference is a factor for which some front office types believe the mass orders of the bats don’t account: The Yankees’ recommendations to each hitter were based on months of past data of how that player tended to strike the ball. This was not about a one-size-fits all bat; it was about precise bat measurements that reflected an individual player’s swing.
“I had never heard of it. I’ve used the same bat for nine years, so I think I’ll stick with that,” White Sox outfielder Andrew Benintendi said. “It’s pretty interesting. It makes sense. If it works for a guy, good for him. If it doesn’t, stick with what you got.”
As longtime player Eric Hosmer explained on the “Baseball Tonight” podcast, the process is a lot like what players can do in golf: look for clubs customized for a player’s particular swing. And, he added, hitting coaches might begin to think more about which bat might be most effective against particular pitchers. If a pitcher tends to throw inside, a torpedo bat could be more effective; if a pitcher is more effective outside, maybe a larger barrel would be more appropriate.
That’s the key, according to an agent representing a player who ordered a bat: “You need years of hitting data in the big leagues to dial it in and hopefully get a better result. He’s still tinkering with it; he may not even use it in a game. … I think of it like switching your irons in golf to blades: It will feel a little different and take some adjusting, and it may even change your swing subtly.”
Two days after the home run explosion, Boone said, “You’re just trying to just get what you can on the margins, move the needle a little bit. And that’s really all you’re going to do. I don’t think this is some revelation to where we’re going to be — it’s not related to the weekend that we had, for example. I don’t think it’s that. Maybe in some cases, for some players it may help them incrementally. That’s how I view it.”
“I’m kind of starting to smile at it a little more … a lot of things that aren’t real.”
Said the player agent: “It’s not an aluminum bat with plutonium in it like everyone is making it out to be.”
Reliever Adam Ottavino watched this all play out, with his 15 years of experience. “It’s the Yankees and they scored a million runs in the first few games, and it’s cool to hate the Yankees and it’s cool to look for the bogeyman,” Ottavino said, “and that’s what some people are going to do, and [you] can’t really stop that. But there’s also a lot of misinformation and noneducation on it too.”
Major league baseball mostly evolves at a glacial pace. For example, the sport is well into the second century of complaints about the surface of the ball and the debate over financial disparity among teams. From time to time, however, baseball has its eclipses, moments that command full attention and inspire change. On a “Sunday Night Baseball” game on May 18, 2008, an umpire’s botched home run call at Yankee Stadium compelled MLB to implement the first instant replay. Buster Posey’s ankle was shattered in a home plate collision in May 2011, imperiling the career of the young star, and new rules about that type of play were rewritten.
The torpedo bat eruption could turn out to be transformative, a time when the industry became aware how a core piece of equipment has been taken for granted and aware that bats could be more precisely designed to augment the ability of each hitter. Or this could all turn out to be a wild overreaction to an outlier day of home runs against a pitching staff having a really bad day.
On Thursday, Cortes — who had been hammered for five homers over two innings in Yankee Stadium — shut out the Reds for six innings.
In Baltimore, Bregman, who had tried the torpedo bat earlier this week, reverted to his usual stock and had three hits against the Orioles, including a home run. Afterward, Bregman said, “It’s the hitter. Not the bat.”
This story was also reported by Jeff Passan, Jorge Castillo, Jesse Rogers and Kiley McDaniel.
Sports
What are torpedo bats? Are they legal? What to know about MLB’s hottest trend
Published
2 hours agoon
April 4, 2025By
admin
The opening weekend of the 2025 MLB season was taken over by a surprise star — torpedo bats.
The bowling pin-shaped bats became the talk of the sport after the Yankees’ home run onslaught on the first Saturday of the season put it in the spotlight and the buzz hasn’t slowed since.
What exactly is a torpedo bat? How does it help hitters? And how is it legal? Let’s dig in.
Read: An MIT-educated professor, the Yankees and the bat that could be changing baseball
What is a torpedo bat and why is it different from a traditional MLB bat?
The idea of the torpedo bat is to take a size format — say, 34 inches and 32 ounces — and distribute the wood in a different geometric shape than the traditional form to ensure the fattest part of the bat is located where the player makes the most contact. Standard bats taper toward an end cap that is as thick diametrically as the sweet spot of the barrel. The torpedo bat moves some of the mass on the end of the bat about 6 to 7 inches lower, giving it a bowling-pin shape, with a much thinner end.
How does it help hitters?
The benefits for those who like swinging with it — and not everyone who has swung it likes it — are two-fold. Both are rooted in logic and physics. The first is that distributing more mass to the area of most frequent contact aligns with players’ swing patterns and provides greater impact when bat strikes ball. Players are perpetually seeking ways to barrel more balls, and while swings that connect on the end of the bat and toward the handle probably will have worse performance than with a traditional bat, that’s a tradeoff they’re willing to make for the additional slug. And as hitters know, slug is what pays.
The second benefit, in theory, is increased bat speed. Imagine a sledgehammer and a broomstick that both weigh 32 ounces. The sledgehammer’s weight is almost all at the end, whereas the broomstick’s is distributed evenly. Which is easier to swing fast? The broomstick, of course, because shape of the sledgehammer takes more strength and effort to move. By shedding some of the weight off the end of the torpedo bat and moving it toward the middle, hitters have found it swings very similarly to a traditional model but with slightly faster bat velocity.
Why did it become such a big story so early in the 2025 MLB season?
Because the New York Yankees hit nine home runs in a game Saturday and Michael Kay, their play-by-play announcer, pointed out that some of them came from hitters using a new bat shape. The fascination was immediate. While baseball, as an industry, has implemented forward-thinking rules in recent seasons, the modification to something so fundamental and known as the shape of a bat registered as bizarre. The initial response from many who saw it: How is this legal?
OK. How is this legal?
Major League Baseball’s bat regulations are relatively permissive. Currently, the rules allow for a maximum barrel diameter of 2.61 inches, a maximum length of 42 inches and a smooth and round shape. The lack of restrictions allows MLB’s authorized bat manufacturers to toy with bat geometry and for the results to still fall within the regulations.
Who came up with the idea of using them?
The notion of a bowling-pin-style bat has kicked around baseball for years. Some bat manufacturers made smaller versions as training tools. But the version that’s now infiltrating baseball goes back two years when a then-Yankees coach named Aaron Leanhardt started asking hitters how they should counteract the giant leaps in recent years made by pitchers.
When Yankees players responded that bigger barrels would help, Leanhardt — an MIT-educated former Michigan physics professor who left academia to work in the sports industry — recognized that as long as bats stayed within MLB parameters, he could change their geometry to make them a reality. Leanhardt, who left the Yankees to serve as major league field coordinator for the Miami Marlins over the winter, worked with bat manufacturers throughout the 2023 and 2024 seasons to make that a reality.
When did it first appear in MLB games?
It’s unclear specifically when. But Yankees slugger Giancarlo Stanton used a torpedo bat last year and went on a home run-hitting rampage in October that helped send the Yankees to the World Series. New York Mets star Francisco Lindor also used a torpedo-style bat last year and went on to finish second in National League MVP voting.
Who are some of the other notable early users of torpedo bats?
In addition to Stanton and Lindor, Yankees hitters Anthony Volpe, Austin Wells, Jazz Chisholm Jr., Cody Bellinger and Paul Goldschmidt have used torpedoes to great success. Others who have used them in games include Tampa Bay’s Junior Caminero, Minnesota’s Ryan Jeffers and Toronto’s Davis Schneider. And that’s just the beginning. Hundreds more players are expected to test out torpedoes — and perhaps use them in games — in the coming weeks.
How is this different from a corked bat?
Corking bats involves drilling a hole at the end of the bat, filling it in and capping it. The use of altered bats allows players to swing faster because the material with which they replace the wood — whether it’s cork, superballs or another material — is lighter. Any sort of bat adulteration is illegal and, if found, results in suspension.
Could a rule be changed to ban them?
Could it happen? Sure. Leagues and governing bodies have put restrictions on equipment they believe fundamentally altered fairness. Stick curvature is limited in hockey. Full-body swimsuits made of polyurethane and neoprene are banned by World Aquatics. But officials at MLB have acknowledged that the game’s pendulum has swung significantly toward pitching in recent years, and if an offensive revolution comes about because of torpedo bats — and that is far from a guarantee — it could bring about more balance to the game. If that pendulum swings too far, MLB could alter its bat regulations, something it has done multiple times already this century.
So the torpedo bat is here to stay?
Absolutely. Bat manufacturers are cranking them out and shipping them to interested players with great urgency. Just how widely the torpedo bat is adopted is the question that will play out over the rest of the season. But it has piqued the curiosity of nearly every hitter in the big leagues, and just as pitchers toy with new pitches to see if they can marginally improve themselves, hitters will do the same with bats.
Comfort is paramount with a bat, so hitters will test them during batting practice and in cage sessions before unleashing them during the game. As time goes on, players will find specific shapes that are most comfortable to them and best suit their swing during bat-fitting sessions — similar to how golfers seek custom clubs. But make no mistake: This is an almost-overnight alteration of the game, and “traditional or torpedo” is a question every big leaguer going forward will ask himself.
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