New Louisville Slugger bat named one of the best inventions of 2025
The New York Yankees introduced the Louisville Slugger Pro Prime TPD1 to the world early in the 2025 MLB season. Now, the bat is being recognized as one of the best inventions of the year.
On Thursday, TIME announced its annual list of the 300 best inventions to come out this year. The Louisville Slugger TPD1 Torpedo bat made the cut under the Sports & Fitness category. It quickly became a retail hit following the opening weekend of the MLB season.
“A long-ball barrage has sparked a craze,” TIME senior correspondent Sean Gregory wrote. “The New York Yankees hit a record-tying 15 home runs in their three first games of the 2025 season, with some players using Louisville Sluggers’ odd-looking Torpedo Prime bats, which move the fat sweet spot closer to the handle, where data shows players are more likely to strike the ball.
“Now wood bat sales at Hillerich & Bradbury, maker of Louisville Sluggers, are up some 20% year-over-year. ‘Really good players have had fantastic success with it,’ says Bobby Hillerich, the company’s VP of manufacturing. ‘It’s proof in performance.’ Former Yankees analyst Aaron Leanhardt, an MIT-trained physicist, is credited with inventing the torpedo.”
Top 10
- 1New
Another Lowe update
MRI came back negative
- 2Breaking
Florida cans Napier
Gators will look for new HC
- 3
UK vs UT line
Cats are two-score home dog
- 4Hot
Lowe watched UL lose
Only needed an L's Down
- 5Trending
Boley wanted a win
No moral victories for QB1
Get the Daily On3 Newsletter in your inbox every morning
By clicking "Subscribe to Newsletter", I agree to On3's Privacy Notice, Terms, and use of my personal information described therein.
The Louisville Slugger has been around since its founding in 1884, but continues to make an impact in the baseball world over 140 years later.
TIME’s list was crafted by evaluating each contender through key factors such as originality, efficacy, ambition, and impact. Other inventions named under the Sports & Fitness category include things such as an oscillating massage gun, non-slip sports sunglasses, and a basketball that can track dribbles, among other items. Categories outside of Sports & Fitness include Robotics, Agriculture, Education, Fashion, and dozens more.
If you’re interested, Louisville Slugger TPD1 torpedo-shaped bats are available at www.slugger.com and at the Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory store at 800 West Main Street in downtown Louisville.
Discuss This Article
Comments have moved.
Join the conversation and talk about this article and all things Kentucky Sports in the new KSR Message Board.
KSBoard