Click to enlarge. Last week, when I was putting together my post on the greatest short player of all time , I became curious as to how the size of players has changed over time. Generally speaking, adult males in the US have become bigger over time. But the question that came to mind was whether MLB players have grown at a greater, lesser, or similar rate than the general population.
There was a pretty steep acceleration of player weight from the s to 's, then a decline through the 's, and then a steady increase since Oddly enough, we don't see big jumps in weight during the advent of weight training. The steady difference in height makes sense, since people cannot actively affect their height and any natural change in height should take longer than a decade to manifest.
Weight, on the other hand, can more easily be manipulated by people through exercise and weight training and diet. If you have, this MLB height research study will answer those questions.
Important notes about the chart: the most common heights are included lesser common heights are in the fast facts and the player's with — heights have been excluded a breakdown of their exact numbers are in the fast facts as well.
Research by Baseball Almanac. McFarland Publishing. Baseball player heights not included due to chart size constraints on the baseball chart above include 1 player [fact 3 below] , 10 players , 19 players , 36 players , players , 38 players , 11 players , 6 players and 1 player [fact 3 below].
The height of players in major American sports can vary greatly — a phenomenon created by the particular demands of each game.
New or average fans may not know this, but in baseball the legs are where the power lies, and the longer, the better. Taller pitchers take advantage of long legs and big thighs to generate velocity on pitches, and also to release the ball closer to the plate which shortens the time a batter has to decide whether to swing.
Some say tall pitchers also have an advantageous high release point making their pitches arrive at a steeper, harder-to-hit downward angle. Taller batters can be at a disadvantage, because of a larger strike zone up and down. However, less-than-average-height batters lose power due to their shorter body frames. Batters generate much power from their hips and upper legs. Baseball might appear to be a game of arms, but deep down much depends on the legs for power, and feet for mobility and nimbleness.
There is none. However, tinkering around with very short players to shrink strike zones and therefore gain more base on balls is generally frowned upon.
Still, shorter players do indeed benefit from shorter strike zones. There are no rules for heights for baseball players per the positions they play — but there are tradition-based suggestions.
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