BOW, Wash. — It has been the talk of baseball since Saturday, March 29th, after the New York Yankees hit 9 home runs against the Milwaukee Brewers and drove in 20: the Torpedo Bat. The bat itself has been around for a few years, but because we are seeing more players use it, it has many teams and fans wondering if it really is here to stay.
Prior to Mariners 3-2 win over the Detroit Tigers Wednesday afternoon, our crews asked Manager Dan Wilson his thoughts on the torpedo bat. He says there have been plenty of new advancements when it comes to hitting and says if his players want to try and use it, they can.
“The old saying is it’s usually the magician and not the wand. So, that’s what it boils down to in the end,” Wilson said.
With the rise in popularity and usage, could we see other leagues use this bat? The answer is yes. ViperBats in Bow, Washington, is making the bats as we speak. Owner Chris Fine gave KIRO7 a behind-the-scenes look at how the bat was made.
“I got a finished bat! Ready to go to the paint room!” Fine exclaimed after finishing up a torpedo bat.
After making the Torpedo bat, Fine explained the big difference between it and a normal bat. He says a normal bat’s sweet spot is toward the top of the barrel, whereas a torpedo bat’s sweet spot is closer to the bat label.
“So ideally you’re hitting in this area. Your torpedo bat has now shifted your sweet spot from down here to closer to the label,” Fine said.
ViperBats has been in business since 2004. Fine says their clientele is at the amateur level and other youth and softball leagues that use wooden bats. He also tells KIRO7 that when it comes to the conversation about the Torpedo bat, it’s something he has never seen before.
“The Wall Street Journal and the Associated Press talking about wood baseball bats has never happened in my 20 years of experience,” Fine said.
Fine plans to continue to make these bats and once they are tested and ready to go, they will ship out to their clients.
©2025 Cox Media Group
