The New York Yankees put on a home-run clinic Saturday against the Milwaukee Brewers, hitting nine dingers en route to a 20-9 victory. They hit back-to-back-to-back homers on the first three pitches of the game and finished the first inning with four home runs. Aaron Judge slammed three homers during an impressive hitting performance by the defending American League champions.
First nine-homer game in #Yankees history:
Paul Goldschmidt
Cody Bellinger
Aaron Judge
Austin Wells
Anthony Volpe (3 R)
Aaron Judge (4 R)
Jazz Chisholm, Jr.
Aaron Judge (2 R)
Oswald Peraza (2 R)— Bryan Hoch ⚾️ (@BryanHoch) March 29, 2025
It was noticeable that Jazz Chisholm Jr. and Anthony Volpe approached the plate with unconventional bats that had larger barrels and slimmer tops than typical models. YES broadcaster Michael Kay elaborated on this peculiar design, stating, “The Yankee front office and the analytics department conducted a study on Anthony Volpe, discovering that most of his hits were on the label, rather than the barrel. Consequently, bats were made where more wood is integrated into the label, allowing the harder section to make contact with the ball. ”
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
Despite the Yankees’ remarkable hitting display, the unusual bats raised suspicions among fans about potential rule violations. Some expressed their concerns on social media, questioning whether these bats were allowed.
Are these allowed? https://t.co/U6wdxg2ClA
— Sam Dekker (@dekker) March 29, 2025
This seems kind of weird… https://t.co/tlWxt494QK
— Dodger Blue (@DodgerBlue1958) March 29, 2025
So they’re using illegal bats? https://t.co/5dzfDC8YZc
— IcyVert (@IcyVert) March 29, 2025
However, despite their odd appearance, the bats used by the Yankees are not illegal. According to MLB rules, “the bat shall be a smooth, round stick not more than 2.61 inches in diameter at the thickest part and not more than 42 inches in length.” The Yankees’ bats adhere to these specifications.
Ultimately, this won’t stop baseball fans from voicing concerns over the Yankees and any perceived advantages they may have; it has become a staple of baseball fandom, just like the 7th inning stretch.
