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'Is This Legal?' - Yankees Stir Up Debate Over Controversial Bats

Originally posted on The Spun | By Tzvi Machlin | Last updated Mar 29, 2025 6:46 PM ET

The New York Yankees annihilated the Milwaukee Brewers today, beating them 20-9 with nine home runs (three alone coming from Aaron Judge).

But amid the beatdown, fans noticed something curious about the bats the Yankees were using. Yankees commentator Michael Kay was the first to explain that the Yankees were using some new bats that featured a change in the distribution of the wood so that the hardest part of the bat would be the point of contact.

Michael Kay explains that the Yankees made new bats "where they moved a lot of the wood into the label so the harder part of the bat is going to strike the ball."

Seems relevant today... pic.twitter.com/cpldzigdrT
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) March 29, 2025

MLB fans were instantly puzzled with nearly everyone who heard those comments remarking that there's no way such a change to the very design of the bat could be legal.

"LMAOOOO there's no way this can be legal," one user remarked.

"How is this legal?" asked another.

"Yeah I’m sorry barrel manipulation should not be legal. If there’s legitimate data surrounding how certain barrels perform better, then that barrel should be consistently used across the league. This isn’t like a custom knob or something, this is affecting balls put in play," a third wrote.

"I (expletive) hate this franchise man. Always a bunch of cheaters on top of playing in a little league ballpark where 300 ft pop flys somehow make it out."

"This needs to be investigated immediately. The Yankees historically has cheated and bent the rules... Cashman admitted as much when I was in a reporter scrum back in 2008. The commish needs to see the legality of this especially for a team that is desperate after the offseason."

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - MARCH 29: Aaron Judge #99 of the New York Yankees hits a grand slam home run in the third inning against the Milwaukee Brewers at Yankee Stadium on March 29, 2025 in New York City. (Photo by Mike Stobe/Getty Images)Mike Stobe/Getty Images

Some users have remarked that teams have always been able to do this to their bats, but the change seems so pronounced that Major League Baseball can't possibly let it go on like this.

This new bat design will need to be either standardized or outlawed in short order.

There really isn't much of a middle ground.

This article first appeared on The Spun and was syndicated with permission.

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