Average Height and Weight of MLB Pitchers (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 the 659 pitchers across the league. In addition, just for fun, I listed the tallest, shortest, heaviest and lightest pitchers as well. Go ahead and impress someone today with your newfound random baseball knowledge.
Average Height of an MLB Pitcher
The average height of a major league baseball pitcher is 74.63 inches (just over 6’2 1/2″), the tallest of any position in the league.
Average Weight of an MLB Pitcher
The average weight of a major league baseball pitcher is 210.66 pounds.
Who Are The Tallest Pitchers in Major League Baseball?
There are 10 players in the entire major leagues listed at 6’8″ or taller – all of them are pitchers.
| Tallest Pitchers 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 Pitchers in Major League Baseball?
Not every pitcher is crazy tall (although almost 60 pitchers are 6’6″ or taller). Here are 5 guys that are 5’9″ or shorter.
| Shortest Pitchers in the MLB | |||
| Player | Height | Position | Team |
| Marcus Stroman | 5’7″ | Pitcher | Chicago Cubs |
| Deivi Garcia | 5’9″ | Pitcher | New York Yankees |
| Kolton Ingram | 5’9″ | Pitcher | Los Angeles Angels |
| Sam Moll | 5’9″ | Pitcher | Oakland Athletics |
| Matt Bush | 5’9″ | Pitcher | Milwaukee Brewers |
Who are the Heaviest Pitchers in the MLB?
Here are the seven heaviest guys in the league, all over 265 pounds.
| Heaviest Pitchers in the MLB | |||
| Player | Weight | Position | Team |
| Alek Manoah | 285 | Pitcher | Toronto Blue Jays |
| 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 |
| Diego Castillo | 268 | Pitcher | Seattle Mariners |
Who are the Lightest Pitchers in the MLB?
Here are the six lightest guys in Major League Baseball, all weighing 160 pounds or less.
| Lightest Players in the MLB | |||
| Player | Weight | Position | Team |
| Ronny Henriquez | 155 | Pitcher | Minnesota Twins |
| Edwin Uceta | 155 | Pitcher | Detroit Tigers |
| Huascar Brazoban | 155 | Pitcher | Miami Marlins |
| Reese Olson | 160 | Pitcher | Detroit Tigers |
| Jhony Brito | 160 | Pitcher | New York Yankees |
| Reiver Sanmartin | 160 | Pitcher | Cincinnati Reds |
Final Thoughts
So, what did I learn?
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″.
Finally, if you’d like to see the full position-by-position breakdown, check out the average heights and weights of major league baseball players by position.
