MLB News: Yankees reportedly have new bats designed to boost home run power

The New York Yankees were hammering the Milwaukee Brewers in Game 2 of the series, their second game of the season, with multiple players hitting back-to-back solo home runs—an unusual and rare sight in MLB.

But behind this newfound power—where even Aaron Judge took advantage by launching his first grand slam of the season—there may be a secret. According to a report from Michael Kay of YES, the Yankees have allegedly redesigned their bats. He explained, “They moved a lot of the wood into the label so the harder part of the bat is going to strike the ball.”

Notably, the Yankees have not made any official announcement, and no players have commented on the matter. However, MLB has a strict rule stating that baseball bats must be a “smooth, round stick not more than 2.61 inches in diameter.” It remains unclear whether these new bats are violating that rule.

Heading into their matchup against the Brewers, the team leading MLB in home runs for the 2025 season was the Dodgers with nine. The Yankees, starting Game 2 with just two home runs, exploded offensively in that game by adding nine more to their tally. This surge catapulted them to the top of the leaderboard with 11 home runs—at least until another team catches up.

Anthony Volpe benefits from the new custom bat

He’s already hit his first home runs of the current season, using a bat that, according to Kay’s report, was redesigned by the club to enhance his ability to make solid contact. Last season, Volpe managed just 12 home runs—a decline of nine compared to his 2023 total of 21.

At his current pace of one home run per game, it’s likely Volpe could surpass the Baseball Reference projection for him of 16 homers with a .240 batting average for the 2025 season. With the improved bat, there’s a strong possibility he might exceed his personal best from 2023 and reach half the number of home runs Judge tallied in 2024, an impressive 58.