The New York Yankees' new torpedo bats, developed by MIT physicist Aaron Leanhardt who has also done work for NASA, have gone viral and sparked a fierce debate.

Despite losing their first game of the MLB season, the New York Yankees continued their historic start to the year as they broke multiple records through their prolific home run hitting.

Now back to the torpedo bat. It's designed so that the wider part of the bat IS the sweet spot. Since it’s wider, it's easier to hit the ball. Since that part is the sweet spot, it gives the ball a higher speed. Higher speed means the ball will travel farther. Adios pelota!

Standing in front of his Yankee Stadium locker on Sunday, Anthony Volpe presented two bats for inspection. In his left hand, the Yankees shortstop displayed one he had used last season; in his right,

MIT physicist Aaron Leanhardt has been credited with creating the torpedo bats. Leanhardt previously served as a hitting analyst with the Yankees before he joined the Miami Marlins as a field coordinator in the offseason.

The Yankees hit four home runs in the first inning off Brewers starter Nestor Cortes on Saturday, starting with three consecutive homers on three pitches. Their nine home runs broke the franchise record of eight and was one short of the MLB record, 10 homers in a single game accomplished by the Toronto Blue Jays in 1987.

Many of the Yankees used torpedo bats while posting historic numbers this weekend. Here's how the team started using the oddly-shaped bats and why they're legal.

After allowing 15 home runs in three games, the Brewers didn't make excuses: "It's not like some magical wood or anything else."

The New York Yankees and the use of torpedo bats has been one of the biggest trends in all of baseball to start the new season. They mashed 15 home runs in