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,

ARLINGTON - Joc Pederson became the first Ranger to deploy a torpedo bat. Result: Initial failure to launch. Pederson, a self-described bat lover, got a few bats on Friday from the Sam Bat and Tucci companies, gave them a whirl in batting practice and took it into the game against Tampa Bay.

Of note is how D-backs pitchers handled the five Yankees who are known to be using the torpedo bat: Anthony Volpe and Paul Goldschmidt, who bat righty, and Jazz Chisholm Jr., Cody Bellinger and Austin Wells, who bat lefty.

From Moneyball to analytics to torpedo bats, MLB teams are desperate for an edge and will look for one in every nook and cranny.

Baseball bat manufacturers had little evidence to suggest a spike in sales was just around the corner when Major League Baseball’s newest season opened last week.

The newest innovation in baseball, the bat has a seemingly inflated barrel that is thickest and heaviest where the player most frequently makes contact.

Among the Yankees hitters who are using it, Anthony Volpe is a model for poor hitters who might see the torpedo bat as hope of becoming a good hitter. He's gained nearly 2 mph in average bat speed and 0.8 mph in average exit velocity.

Long before his oddly shaped bat became the talk of baseball, Aaron Leanhardt played in the Boston Metro Baseball League. He wasn’t the only guy on the team to reach the big leagues.

Major League Baseball is buzzing over torpedo bats. Here's an inside look at the demand for the bats, and how one factory is trying to keep up.

Yahoo has taken a big step, announcing Friday that in its leagues, the MLB players who are using torpedo bats will be denoted with a special icon. Here's how it looks on their site, with the example lineup including Yankees catcher Austin Wells, Phillies third baseman Alec Bohm and Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor as the players with the icon.