A Brief History of the Short and Round
What does a baseball player look like?
That’s not a simple question. Sometimes they look like José Altuve, listed at
5’6, 165 lb. On the other end of the spectrum, Aaron Judge is listed at 6’7, 282 lb. These two players finished 1-2 in the 2017 AL MVP voting, proving that size matters little. These days, the average player goes about 6’2, 191 lbs., but there’s a ton of variation.
There’s one very special body type that’s rarely seen in baseball. There have only been five players in MLB history under six feet tall and at least 250 lb. Collectively, they’re a more athletic group than you might think. Here they are presented below, in size order.
Bartolo Colon: 5’11, 285 lbs.
Several players in the history of baseball have been heftier than Colon. Hundreds more have been shorter. But not one player packed more meat onto a stockier frame. For this, we bestow him the title “Big Sexy.”
Colon holds this unique distinction because of his longevity. He was actually rather svelte as a rookie. According to his 1998 Donruss card, he measured in at 6’0, 185 lbs. Over his 21-year career, he appears to have gained 100 lbs. and lost an inch in height! These measurements are often imprecise anyway.
Big Sexy is truly a remarkable athlete. Very few players last 21 years in the majors, regardless of belt size. The Baseball Prospectus Annual has chronicled the entirety of his storied career. You can read the highlights here.
Prince Fielder: 5’11, 275 lbs.
Given Fielder’s sharp drop-off at age-30 and early retirement due to neck issues, it’s easy to forget how outstanding his 20s were. Through 2013, his age-29 season, he slashed .286/.389/.527 with 285 home runs and a 141 OPS+.
Only 17 players hit more homers through their 20s. Ten of them are in the Hall of Fame and two more will certainly get there eventually (Albert Pujols and Miguel Cabrera). His durability was nearly as impressive as it is forgotten. From 2006-13, he missed only 13 games. He played all 162 games four times.
Pablo Sandoval: 5’11, 268 lbs.
Kung Fu Panda has experienced three distinct phases in his career:
- Glory and Reverence: From 2008-14, Sandoval was a hitting machine. He batted .294/.346/.465 as the Giants’ switch-hitting third baseman. He made a few All-Star Teams and won three championships, earning the 2012 World Series MVP.
- Unqualified Disaster: On November 25, 2014, he signed a five year, $95 million contract with the Red Sox. They cut him two and a half years later, having amassed a .646 OPS while missing lots of action with injuries.
- Punch Line: He’s become a decent hitter once more, but really he exists to entertain us- often by lining up at positions where he doesn’t belong, such as second base and pitcher. He notched another bizarre accomplishment a few days ago:
The Panda never ceases to amaze. Maybe he’ll end his career beating Shohei Ohtani in the race for the Cy Young award and the Silver Slugger in the same season. In fact, you can see how the top contenders for the CY Young award are doing right here, with Mike Trout vs Mookie Betts going head to head in the latest AL MVP award odds.
José Mijares: 5’11, 265 lbs.
Remember Mijares? Pretty decent lefty reliever five or ten years ago, mostly for the Twins? No? He had a pretty good career, but nothing particularly noteworthy.
EXCEPT…
In a certain corner of the Internet, long-time fans of the Effectively Wild podcast remember the great Ryan Webb–Matt Albers record chase. As Ben Lindbergh explained in his Grantland article, Webb and Albers used to trade a specific record back and forth: most career games finished without a save. Albers fell off the wagon by recording a few saves in 2017, leaving Webb standing alone with the record. So who’s in second place now? That’s right: José Mijares!
Dave Orr: 5’11, 250 lbs.
Playing in the 1880s, Orr’s height and weight were probably the equivalent of 6’4, 325 lbs. today. He was an offensive lineman before offensive lines were invented!
Orr was one of the top sluggers of the old American Association. Playing predominantly for the original New York Metropolitans, he somehow collected 52 triples from 1885-86, leading the league both seasons.
All five of these players have a left a mark on baseball history, though you may have to squint to see it. If you can make it to the majors with such uncommon measurements for an athlete, you must be a pretty special player.
