MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred Says Torpedo Bats Are ‘Absolutely Good For Baseball’

There's been a lot of talk about these "torpedo" bats since the New York Yankees debuted them on Opening Day. While some argue that the bats are entirely within the rules, others claim they will ruin baseball by giving hitters an unfair advantage. Now, MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred has weighed in.

A Yankees in-house physicist had the idea to thicken the barrel of the bat where it most often hits the ball, and the result (so far) has been a lot of homers and a lot of arguing about whether the bats should actually be considered cheating.

READ: Have The Torpedo Bats Made A Difference?

Paul Goldschmidt prepares to take a swing with a "torpedo bat."

(Photo by Rich Graessle/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Manfred, though, couldn't be happier with the bats' impact on the sport. Not necessarily because they (allegedly) produce a lot of offense, but because they've drummed up plenty of publicity for the league.

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"They’re absolutely good for baseball," Manfred told The New York Times. "I believe that issues like the torpedo bat and the debate around it demonstrate the fact that baseball still occupies a unique place in our culture, because people get into a complete frenzy over something that’s really nothing at the end of the day.

"The bats comply with the rules. Players have actually been moving the sweet spot around in bats for years. But it just demonstrates that something about the game is more important than is captured by television ratings or revenue or any of those things, when you have the discussions and debates about it."

READ: Phillies Reliever Matt Strahm: If Hitters Get Torpedo Bats, Then Pitchers Should Get Pine Tar

MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred is Team Torpedo Bat.

(Brad Penner-Imagn Images)

After the Yankees offensive explosion to open the season, every MLB team put in an order for their own batch of the bats.

While plenty of pitchers (and baseball purists) have expressed concern, Manfred's enthusiastic endorsement seems to suggest the torpedo bats are here to stay.