MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred believes torpedo bat controversy is ‘good for baseball’ and shows sport still captures national attention

MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred recently gave his insight on the utilization of "torpedo bats." He said that the equipment was an intriguing addition to the game and keeps America's pastime with a fresh perspective.

Torpedo bats have been in the spotlight since the New York Yankees demolished the Milwaukee Brewers. However, the bats were used by stars such as Francisco Lindor last year.

"They're absolutely good for baseball," Manfred said.

In an interview with The Athletic, Manfred said that the use of torpedo bats can do wonders for the sport. He also said that it's a welcoming sight that a small tweak, such as an innovation in equipment, can still capture the attention of baseball fans within the country.

"I believe that issues like the torpedo bat and the debate around it demonstrate the fact that baseball still occupies a unique place in our culture, because people get into a complete frenzy over something that's really nothing at the end of the day."

Manfred also defended the use of the bats and reiterated their legality. Users of the bats, especially the Yankees, drew flak from some fanbases who alleged that the team was "cheating."

"The bats comply with the rules," Manfred said. "Players have actually been moving the sweet spot around in bats for years. But it just demonstrates that something about the game is more important than is captured by television ratings or revenue or any of those things, when you have the discussions and debates about it."

Known as a progressive figure in the sport, it comes to no surprise that the MLB commissioner approves of such a change within the realms of today's game.

MLB players that use torpedo bats

At the moment, there are 17 confirmed MLB players who are using the torpedo bats in regular-season games — five of whom are from the New York Yankees. Cody Bellinger, Paul Goldschmidt, Jazz Chisholm, Anthony Volpe and Austin Wells have all utilized the newest innovation that's taking baseball by storm.

Other notable torpedo bat enthusiasts are Pittsburgh's Oneil Cruz, Cincinnati's Elly De La Cruz and Cincinnati's Jose Trevino (who happens to be a former Yankee). Entering Sunday's games, Chisholm and Volpe lead the home run tally for the torpedo bat users with four home runs each.