But the development of the uniquely shaped piece of lumber — it looks more like a bowling pin than a traditional bat, with a thicker middle and tapered end — wasn't the result of a life spent around the game. Instead, it was the application of skills and knowledge that he cultivated in higher education.

Stanton torched the Royals in the American League Division Series, which the Yankees won three games to one. He led New York in batting average (.375), OPS (1.132), doubles (two) and hit one of the Yankees’ three homers in the series.

While Aaron Judge rocked three homers using his normal bat, a number of Yankees opted for the Torpedo bat, which was designed in part by former Massachusetts Institute of Technology physicist Aaron Leanhardt and are notable for being densest at the barrel, or the "sweet spot" of the bat.