MLB’s Newest Sensation Has Significant Michigan Ties

Baseball is known as America's oldest pastime as the sport has been around for hundreds of years. Baseball has survived through color barriers, lockouts, wars, pandemics, doping scandals, and more. So, it's no surprise that fans still go bonkers for 162 games a year and the parks are jam packed.

Get our free mobile app

Baseball is just like anything else in the world, it changes as the world around it changes as well. The types of uniforms, the team names, upgraded or brand-new ballparks, and improved equipment are all among the changes that have come in the last 5 decades. Improved equipment has been one of the upgrades we've seen impact the game in a massive way.

A new change has made its way to the MLB at the beginning of this season, and it has everyone in shambles. For the longest time, players were hiring hitting coaches and trying to perfect their swing to "barrel" the ball, well now barreling the ball will be much easier and Michigan is a part of the solution.

The biggest part of the baseball bat is known as the barrel and it was always located at the tip of the bat, well one physics doctor was able to move the barrel of the bat to make hitting easier for players. Most players were making contact with the baseball near the logo which isn't on the barrel, so Aaron Leanhardt decided to move the barrel to the logo.

Ironically, moving the barrel isn't against the MLB rules but it does make creating contact with the ball and driving it farther much easier. Aaron Leanhardt received his doctorate in physics from MIT before teaching at the University of Michigan for 8 years. He then went on to take a job as the New York Yankees hitting coach.

University of Michigan Tied To New MLB Sensation

Leanhardt noticed that players were pointing to the skinner part of the bat and saying that's where they make contact, and he began working on a formula to move the barrel of the bat without violating the rules. That's when he presented them with Torpedo bats which get their name from the shape that looks similar to a torpedo rocket.

The bats began to catch attention over the last weekend as players noticed the New York Yankees and some other teams hitting especially well, including tons of homeruns. This has led to many teams around the league inquiring about how they can obtain the bats for their players. The bats are produced by one of the 41 approved MLB manufacturers and are not illegal or considered experimental.

Tons of teams are seeing success, and they can thank the University of Michigan for all of that as they helped Leanhardt sharpen his physics mind. There has been no report of the Detroit Tigers getting in on the torpedo bat action, but I can't imagine that will remain that way for long.