Roy Hobbs, the fabled swinger of his beloved “Wonderboy,” might disagree. But there really is no such thing as a “magic bat.” When MLB hitters select their sticks, they must make certain compromises.

MIAMI — For the MIT-educated physicist behind the torpedo bat, it’s more about the talent of the players than their lumber at the plate. The torpedo model — a striking design in which wood is moved lower down the barrel after the label and shapes the end a little like a bowling pin — became the talk of major league baseball over the weekend.