The baseball season has just begun and already there’s a new phenomenon on everyone’s lips: torpedo bats. The bats have a tapered end and the designers moved its weight to the sweet spot, potentially rewarding batters with stronger hits. The bats are already being credited with helping th e New York Yankees slam nine home runs in a game against the Milwaukee Brewers on Saturday. For the company behind the bats, the King on Prussia-based Victus Sports, the bats might just be the most exciting thing they’ve seen in the game since they were founded. “The torpedo bat, obviously everyone is hearing about it now, so, for us, it’s been the most exciting thing, really, that’s happened in baseball bats in the last 15 years, since we started,” said Jared Smith, founder of Victus Sports. Smith — whose company was also behind the stylish bats that looked like pencils and other designs — said the torpedo bats aren’t new. But, his company spent over a year working with teams like the New York Yankees and the Baltimore Orioles to bring the torpedo design to the MLB. It has been more than just these two teams that are using the torpedo design, however. Phillies third baseman Alec Bohm used one in the Phillies home opener, as well. Dan Hennigan, the hitting coach behind the company Brain and Barrel Hitting, said the torpedo shape “took a lot” of research and design to get right, but it meets all MLB rules to be used in games. The weight is just shifted, he said, to provide a better sweet spot for hitters. “Overall, it’s sort of, one little advantage that a player may be able to take,” said Hennigan. Following the success the pros are seeing with the new bats, the torpedo design is proving to be a hit at retail stores as well, with the company saying they are seeing orders increase as coaches are grabbing them for kids who want to improve their swings. Sign up for our Breaking newsletter to get the most urgent news stories in your inbox. ...read more read less