Never one to shy away from a controversial topic, MLB commissioner Rob Manfred lauded “torpedo” bats as the future of America’s pastime, calling them “absolutely good for baseball” in a wide-ranging interview with the New York Times.

"They're absolutely good for baseball," he said to the New York Times ' Michael S. Schmidt. "I believe that issues like the torpedo bat and the debate around it demonstrate the fact that baseball still occupies a unique place in our culture, because people get into a complete frenzy over something that’s really nothing at the end of the day.

Reds star Elly De La Cruz is the latest convert, hitting two home runs and knocking in seven runs in his first game with the unique bat.