Houston bat maker takes advantage of 'torpedo' bat craze

'Torpedo' bat craze: Houston bat maker taking advantage

HOUSTON - Houston bat-maker, OTW Bat Co., makes high-performance baseball bats that are certified for use in the major leagues. Last season, the company says it made some torpedo bat prototypes for an MLB team to test, and players were not, ultimately, interested. The Yankees performance changed all that. 

Perez says he has sold several hundred of his torpedo-bat designs, as players look to take advantage of the bat's redistribution of weight and maximized 'sweet spot'. 

What they're saying:

"It's been selling like hotcakes," says OTW owner Joe Perez, "Every day, the phones have been ringing off the hook."

"With the torpedo concept, you're able to remove two to three ounces of wood (from the end of the bat), which is not utilized in a normal swing and manipulate it and position it into the heart of the barrel, where the player needs it the most," says Perez.

Dig deeper:

As for the design, there is no patent to prevent bat-companies from making their own torpedoes. Instead, they're like any custom modification that a particular hitter might want to improve their performance. In this case, it also improves the bottom line of a local business that's a little surprised by the unexpected sales opportunity. 

"Obviously, we're happy with it because the sales increased," says Perez, "We're able to make kids happy; not only the young kids, but the players, too."

The OTW torpedo bat retails for $169.