The shortest MLB player in history is Eddie Gaedel at 3 feet 7 inches — a 60-pound performer hired by St. Louis Browns owner Bill Veeck for a 1951 publicity stunt who walked on four straight pitches in his only career at-bat. The shortest active MLB players are Jose Altuve and Tony Kemp, both 5’6″. Here are the 20 shortest players in MLB history, the Eddie Gaedel story, and what these players accomplished despite the height gap with today’s 6’2″ average.
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The Eddie Gaedel story (and why MLB changed the rules)
On August 19, 1951, the second game of a St. Louis Browns doubleheader against the Detroit Tigers became one of the most famous moments in baseball history. Browns owner Bill Veeck — already known as baseball’s greatest showman — hired Eddie Gaedel, a 3’7″, 60-pound performer, signed him to a one-day contract, and sent him to the plate wearing jersey number “1/8” as a pinch hitter in the bottom of the first inning. Tigers pitcher Bob Cain initially laughed, then realized Veeck was serious. With Gaedel’s strike zone roughly 1.5 inches tall, Cain walked him on four straight pitches. Gaedel was immediately replaced by a pinch runner, jogged off the field to a standing ovation, and never appeared in another MLB game.
MLB executives were furious. American League President Will Harridge voided Gaedel’s contract the next day and changed the rules to require league approval of all contracts, specifically to prevent future stunt signings. Gaedel’s jersey is now displayed at the St. Louis Cardinals Hall of Fame and Museum. In his 1962 autobiography, Veeck famously wrote that Gaedel was “the best darn midget who ever played big-league ball. He was also the only one.” Gaedel’s lifetime on-base percentage of 1.000 is the highest in MLB history — a technicality that still appears on Baseball Reference today.
The Hall of Fame short players (and what they accomplished)
Eight Hall of Famers stand 5’7″ or shorter, proving that height has rarely been a barrier to elite MLB success. Wee Willie Keeler (5’4″, 140 lbs) is the shortest HOFer in baseball history — a 19-year contact hitter famous for the phrase “Hit ’em where they ain’t” who had a 44-game hitting streak in 1897 and finished his career with 2,932 hits and the highest at-bats-per-strikeout ratio in MLB history. Rabbit Maranville (5’5″) was a defensive wizard who played 23 MLB seasons, and Hack Wilson (5’6″, 190 lbs barrel-chested) drove in 191 RBIs in 1930 — a single-season record that still stands today, 96 years later. Phil Rizzuto (5’6″) won the 1950 AL MVP with the Yankees. Joe Sewell (5’6″) struck out just 114 times in 7,132 career at-bats over 14 seasons. Sliding Billy Hamilton (5’6″) drove in 198 runs in 1894 with a .344 career average and 912 stolen bases. Joe Morgan (5’7″) won back-to-back NL MVPs in 1975-76 with the Reds and remains the only HOFer that short to win multiple MVPs. Pudge Rodriguez (5’9″) is the shortest catcher in the Hall of Fame.
The modern era has its own collection of elite short players. Jose Altuve (5’6″) won the 2017 AL MVP with the Houston Astros, becoming the third player at 5’6″ to win the AL MVP after Rizzuto (1950) and Bobby Shantz (1952). Altuve has won three batting titles, made nine All-Star teams, and helped Houston win the 2017 and 2022 World Series. Mookie Betts (5’9″) won the 2018 AL MVP and three World Series rings with the Red Sox and Dodgers. Dustin Pedroia (5’9″) won the 2008 AL MVP, 2007 AL Rookie of the Year, and was a critical piece of Boston’s 2007 and 2013 championship teams. David Eckstein (5’7″) won World Series MVP in 2006 with the Cardinals. Active short players in 2026 include Altuve, Tony Kemp (5’6″), Ozzie Albies (5’8″), Cedric Mullins (5’8″), and Jose Ramirez (5’9″).
Why height matters less in baseball than other sports
The average MLB player today stands 6’2″ — about an inch shorter than NBA players (6’6″) but much shorter than NFL offensive linemen (6’4″+). But baseball’s height curve has some unusual quirks. The 2025 MLB average for second basemen is just under 6 feet, with 101 different players under 6 feet appearing at the position in 2024 alone. Shortstops average 5’11.5″. The advantages of being shorter in baseball are real: a smaller strike zone (forcing pitchers to throw fewer hittable pitches), a lower center of gravity (helping defensive range and quick first steps), and faster bat speed through the zone for some hitters. The disadvantages mostly apply to pitching — taller pitchers create steeper downward angles on their pitches and have longer levers for generating velocity. Bobby Shantz (5’6″) is the shortest pitcher to win an MVP, and Marcus Stroman (5’7″) is the shortest active starting pitcher in MLB in 2026.
For continuously updated MLB roster heights and complete player physical data, Baseball-Reference.com is the authoritative source — they list height and weight for every player who has ever appeared in an MLB game. For team-by-team and position-by-position breakdowns of modern MLB heights, MLB.com’s official player directory publishes the most current rosters with verified physical measurements.
The honest summary on shortest MLB players: height is one of the most misunderstood factors in baseball. While the average MLB player is now 6’2″, more than 100 players under 6 feet appear in MLB games every season. Eight Hall of Famers stood 5’7″ or shorter, and three of the past 75 AL MVPs went to players listed at 5’6″. From Eddie Gaedel’s one-game publicity stunt to Jose Altuve’s three batting titles and World Series ring, baseball has consistently rewarded skill, hustle, and contact ability over raw size. The Aaron Judges of the world get the headlines, but the Altuves, Bettses, and Pedroias of the world have just as many MVP trophies. For young players being told they’re too short to play baseball, the historical record is clear: the game doesn’t actually care.
— Drew, Legion Report