MLB Announces Aaron Judge News After Yankees' Torpedo Bat Controversy

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Chris M. Licata | Last updated Mar 31, 2025 3:04 PM ET

The New York Yankees had a historic opening series against the Milwaukee Brewers to kickstart 2025, tying the major league record with 15 home runs through the first three games of a season.

Fans began calling for MLB to investigate the team's torpedo-shaped bats after play-by-play broadcaster Michael Kay called attention to them. Multiple players and teams across the league are already utilizing the freshly designed bats, which MLB has already confirmed are legal and within league specifications for bat size and shape.

Yankees outfielder and 2024 American League MVP Aaron Judge led the charge, hitting three balls over the Yankee Stadium outfield wall while driving in eight of New York's 20 runs in Saturday's blowout win. He added a fourth homer and three walks during Sunday's 12-3 win that saw four more longballs by the pinstripes.

On Monday, MLB announced its first Player of the Week award winners and Judge took home the honors for the AL, while Arizona's Eugenio Suarez was the NL honoree.

Both sluggers lead their respective leagues with four home runs entering the season's second week of action. Judge wrapped up his first week going 6-for-11 with an MLB-leading 11 RBI and an unfathomable 2.461 OPS.

Interestingly enough, Judge is not among the Yankees players using the torpedo bat, which he confirmed to the New York Post.

“What I did the past couple seasons speaks for itself,” Judge said. “Why try to change something if you have something that’s working?”

Aaron Judge: 6-for-11, 4 HR, 11 RBI, 2.461 OPS
Eugenio Suárez: 4 HR, 7 RBI, 1.555 OPS

Your first AL and NL @Chevrolet Players of the Week of 2025! pic.twitter.com/yK1ZGU06mD
— MLB (@MLB) March 31, 2025

Set to turn 33 years old on April 26, Judge is coming off of a dominant 2024 season that saw him league the majors in home runs (58), RBI (144), walks (133), OBP (.458), slugging percentage (.701), OPS (1.159) and WAR (10.8).

Judge and the scorching-hot Yankees bats are off on Monday before hosting Suarez and the Diamondbacks for a three-game series in the Bronx.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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