Average Height and Weight of Major League Baseball Players

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″).

Height of MLB Players by Position 2023

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.

Weight of MLB Players by Position 2023

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.

References

MLB.com

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