For the New York Yankees, the opening day was simply the appetizer. Game 2, meanwhile, was a five-course feast and they ate Milwaukee Brewers. After a steady 4-2 win to kick off this season, they pummeled the Brewers with 20-9 in what seems to be an offensive spectacle. From the first pitch itself, they were sending a bold message. And of course, leading their charge was Aaron Judge, their Bronx superstar.

The New York Yankees captain wasted no time proving why he is revered as one of the most fierce hitters in the whole of baseball. He, along with Paul Goldschmidt and Cody Bellinger, all earned back-to-back-to-back off Nestor Cortes. Each homering on the very first pitch they saw. Later even Austin Wells joined the party with a 372-foot hit.  After watching Aaron Judge’s stellar performance, not just fans but even teammates like newly acquired $80 million Cody Bellinger are in admiration.

“He’s the best in the game, and the consistency and the way he handles himself—there are just not enough positive things to say about him,” said Cody Bellinger. And really, it’s hard to argue with this. Judge wasn’t just another bat; he was the heart of the offensive explosion. He led by example, and rest followed.

However, as humble as Judge is, he credited the New York Yankees win to his teammates. “It all started with Goldie, you know, there in the first at-bat. First inning, getting things going. Just all around having a great, you know, great plan going into the game and going out there and executing it.” But it wasn’t just home runs; the entire energy of the Bronx was different. The fans felt it, and even Judge did.

Aaron Judge also showed appreciation for the fans, praising their support last season and promising something special again this year. But with every big moment comes a little controversy—and this time, it’s all about the bats.

Some of New York Yankees players, like Volpe, were seen to use what others are deeming as a ‘torpedo bat.’ It’s shaped differently, and many think the impactful performance was due to the bats. Some are even questioning the legality. However, MLB has cleared that Yankees bats do meet the standards of the rulebook. Moreover, it can’t be all about the bats, because Aaron Judge, who performed like a boss, isn’t even endorsing it!

Why is Aaron Judge not buying the torpedo bat hype?

The baseball world is buzzing with the Yankees new torpedo bats. Does it meet the rulebook or not? Is there an unfair advantage they are getting? Is this a loophole? But amidst all the chaos, Aaron Judge could care less. After the Yankees stellar 9-homer performance against the Brewers, reporters naturally asked if Judge would be trying the at-bat too. Well, he said, “What I did the past couple of seasons speaks for itself. Why try to change something if you have something that’s working?” For him, if it isn’t broken, don’t fix it. And given he went 4-for-6 with three home runs and eight RBIs against Milwaukee, he seems to be doing just fine without the bats.

So it wasn’t just the new shiny bat design, but it was also about power and execution. And there seems to be no magic formula. In fact, Anthony Volpe, who ended up using the vat even in the game, was skeptical of it. “It’s probably just a placebo. But if it helps even a little, why not?”

Cody Bellinger, who switched to bat full-time, called it more balanced, but even he said, it’s not a miracle tool—everything lies in hitters hands. Plus, manager of the team Aaron Boone also downplayed the hype on these bats, comparing it to golfers tweaking their clubs. “We’re trying to win on the margins. That shows up in so many different ways—bat models, the momentum steals that Volpe does, the shifts. It’s 2025, and there are more ways to optimize guys than ever before.” Now whether he doesn’t want teams to adopt their strategy and is downplaying it, or if it is really not much of an edge—time will say.

What do you think? Was it all about the dangerous bat in Game 2? Let us know your thoughts.