MINNEAPOLIS — Zach Dezenzo was rehabbing an injury at the Houston Astros’ minor-league facility in Florida last season when he first beheld a bat that he still thinks “looks weird.” Its barrel bulged and tapered into a skinner end. Its shape resembled that of a bowling pin.

The Yankees were at PNC Park for the Pirates home opener on Friday, and they brought their torpedo bats with them.

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.

Torpedo bats are thinner at the top with more wood closer to the batter’s hands. The Yankees debuted these new bats in their opening weekend and hit 15 home runs.

New torpedo bats drew attention over the weekend among Major League Baseball players and fans, but what exactly are they and are they legal?

The “torpedo bat,” a bowling pin-shaped bat with a shifted sweet spot, helped New York Yankees players hit nine home runs in one game on opening weekend.

After a number of hitters adopted the new bowling-pin-looking bats during MLB opening week, FanDuel and DraftKings Sportsbooks are offering special bets related to the movement. DraftKings has an entire section made up of players that have used a torpedo bat this season, including Elly de la Cruz, Francisco Lindor, Dansby Swanson, and others.

A 70-year-old man who plays in an area senior hardball league popped into Victus Sports this week because he needed bats for the new season. Plus he just had to take some cuts with baseball's latest fad and see for himself if there really was some wizardry in the wallop off a torpedo bat.