Average Height and Weight of MLB Baseball Players (2023)
I’ve been a collegiate sports performance coach for 20 years. One thing I always felt was effective was showing guys the heights and weights of players at their position in the pros.
It helped give many players the extra motivation needed to gain weight when they were able to compare themselves to guys at the next level.
So, this is essentially the same research I would share with players, but now I’m sharing it with you. I took the 40-Man Rosters for the 2023 Major League Baseball season, almost 1200 players total and broke them down by position.
For this guide, I took an average of the heights and weights of each position across the league. In addition, just for fun, I listed the tallest, shortest, heaviest and lightest players as well regardless of position. Go ahead and impress someone today with your newfound random baseball knowledge.
Average Height of an MLB Player by Position
The average height of a major league baseball player is 73.82 inches (almost 6’2″), with the tallest position being Pitcher at 74.63 (over 6’2 1/2″).
| Average MLB Player Height | ||
| Position | Height (inches) | Height* (ft/inches) |
| Overall | 73.82 | 6’1 3/4″ |
| Pitchers | 74.63 | 6’2 3/4″ |
| Catcher | 72.49 | 6’0 1/2″ |
| 1st Base | 74.18 | 6’2 1/4″ |
| 2nd Base | 71.27 | 5’11 1/4″ |
| 3rd Base | 72.64 | 6’0 3/4″ |
| Shortshop | 72.5 | 6’0 1/2″ |
| Left Field | 73.02 | 6’1″ |
| Center Field | 73.38 | 6’1 1/2″ |
| Right Field | 73.26 | 6’1 1/4″ |
| Designated Hitter | 73.94 | 6’2″ |
*To nearest quarter-inch
Average Weight of an MLB Player by Position
The average weight of a major league baseball player is 207.25 pounds with the heaviest position being Designated Hitter at just over 223 pounds.
| Average MLB Player Weight | |
| Overall | 207.25 |
| Pitchers | 210.66 |
| Catcher | 211.45 |
| 1st Base | 221.78 |
| 2nd Base | 191.37 |
| 3rd Base | 202.11 |
| Shortshop | 190.22 |
| Left Field | 202.94 |
| Center Field | 198.68 |
| Right Field | 207.28 |
| Designated Hitter | 223.33 |
Who Are The Tallest Players in Major League Baseball?
There are 10 players listed at 6’8″ or taller – all of them pitchers.
| Tallest Players in the MLB | |||
| Player | Height | Position | Team |
| Sean Hjelle | 6’11” | Pitcher | San Francisco Giants |
| Bailey Ober | 6’9″ | Pitcher | Minnesota Twins |
| Michel Baez | 6’8″ | Pitcher | San Diego Padres |
| Jackson Rutledge | 6’8″ | Pitcher | Washington Nationals |
| Stephen Ridings | 6’8″ | Pitcher | New York Mets |
| Sean Reynolds | 6’8″ | Pitcher | Miami Marlins |
| Trevor Megill | 6’8″ | Pitcher | Minnesota Twins |
| Tyler Glasnow | 6’8″ | Pitcher | Tampa Bay Rays |
| Chris Martin | 6’8″ | Pitcher | Boston Red Sox |
| Tyler Wells | 6’8″ | Pitcher | Baltimore Orioles |
Who are the Shortest Players in Major League Baseball?
There are only four players in the MLB (out of almost 1200) listed at under 5’8″ and three of them are 2nd Basemen.
| Shortest Players in the MLB | |||
| Player | Height | Position | Team |
| Jose Altuve | 5’6″ | 2nd Baseman | Houston Astros |
| Tony Kemp | 5’6″ | 2nd Baseman | Oakland Athletics |
| Kolten Wong | 5’7″ | 2nd Baseman | Seattle Mariners |
| Marcus Stroman | 5’7″ | Pitcher | Chicago Cubs |
Who are the Heaviest Players in the MLB?
Here are the ten heaviest guys in the league, all over 265 pounds.
| Heaviest Players in the MLB | |||
| Player | Weight | Position | Team |
| Alek Manoah | 285 | Pitcher | Toronto Blue Jays |
| Aaron Judge | 282 | Right Field | New York Yankees |
| Joel Kuhnel | 280 | Pitcher | Cincinnati Reds |
| Max Castillo | 280 | Pitcher | Kansas City Royals |
| Carlos Estevez | 277 | Pitcher | Los Angeles Angels |
| Joe Jimenez | 277 | Pitcher | Atlanta Braves |
| Lance Lynn | 270 | Pitcher | Chicago White Sox |
| Daniel Vogelbach | 270 | Designated Hitter | New York Mets |
| Diego Castillo | 268 | Pitcher | Seattle Mariners |
| Miguel Cabrera | 267 | Designated Hitter | Detroit Tigers |
Who are the Lightest Players in the MLB?
Here are the ten lightest guys in Major League Baseball, all weighing 155 pounds or less.
| Lightest Players in the MLB | |||
| Player | Weight | Position | Team |
| Yonny Hernandez | 140 | 3rd Base | Los Angeles Dodgers |
| Christopher Morel | 145 | Center Field | Chicago Cubs |
| Maikel Garcia | 145 | Shortstop | Kansas City Royals |
| Jonatan Clase | 150 | Outfield | Seattle Mariners |
| Eguy Rosario | 150 | Third Base | San Diego Padres |
| Diego Hernandez | 150 | Outfield | Kansas City Royals |
| Ceddanne Rafaela | 152 | Third Base | Boston Red Sox |
| Ronny Henriquez | 155 | Pitcher | Minnesota Twins |
| Edwin Uceta | 155 | Pitcher | Detroit Tigers |
| Huascar Brazoban | 155 | Pitcher | Miami Marlins |
Final Thoughts
So, what did I learn?
I would imagine a lot of people’s assumptions about specific positions seem to hold true. Overall, Pitchers, 1st Basemen and Designated Hitters are the biggest positions on the field and 2nd Basemen and Shortstops are the smallest.
The tallest players in baseball are absolutely pitchers. I listed above the ten tallest players, all 6’8″ or taller, that are all pitchers. In addition to that, there are 64 players that are 6’6″ or taller and all but 5 of them are pitchers.
Obviously, being tall is an advantage to being a pitcher in the majors. A longer stride and longer arms mean the ball is being released closer to the batter which in turn reduces the (already short) amount of reaction time for the batter.
It doesn’t mean you have to be tall though. Marcus Stroman is about to start his 9th year in the majors standing at only 5’7″.
2nd Basemen, at an average of just over 5’11” and 191 pounds is one of the smallest position groups in all of sports. Even slightly smaller than NFL Cornerbacks who average just under 6’0″ and 193 pounds.
