The New York Yankees sparked excitement after unveiling new bats designed to enhance their hitting performance ahead of the 2025 MLB season.
During the Yankees’ impressive 20-9 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers, MLB analyst Michael Kay revealed that the team’s analytical department had created these new bats. According to Kay, the Yankees’ analysis of shortstop Anthony Volpe showed that he often made contact with the label of the bat rather than the barrel. As a result, the team designed bats with more wood shifted toward the label, allowing the harder part of the bat to strike the ball more effectively.
After Kay’s comments, fans questioned whether the new bat design was legal, with some even calling for an investigation by MLB commissioner Rob Manfred. Social media reactions ranged from disbelief to concerns about the fairness of “barrel manipulation” and its potential impact on the game.
Despite the controversy, the new bats seemed to deliver results. In just their second game of the season, the Yankees scored 20 runs and hit nine home runs, setting a franchise record. They also made history by hitting three consecutive home runs on the first three pitches of the game—something that had never been done before in MLB.
Brewers manager Pat Murphy was left stunned by the Yankees’ offensive explosion, describing the game as an “old-fashioned ass whooping.” The Yankees’ onslaught largely came against Nestor Cortes, a former Yankee. Manager Aaron Boone had hoped for an advantage over Cortes, and the team certainly delivered with a dominant start to the season, now 2-0.
