If you walk into a Major League clubhouse today, you’ll probably feel like you’ve wandered into a forest of redwoods. The average pitcher looks like a small forward. They are usually 6-foot-3 or taller, with levers long enough to whip 100-mph fastballs without breaking a sweat. It’s a game of giants.
But then there's the outlier. The guy who proves physics is sometimes just a suggestion.
When people talk about the shortest pitcher in MLB, they aren't just talking about a footnote in a trivia book. They are talking about a specific kind of defiance. Whether it’s Marcus Stroman staring down a hitter six inches taller than him or historical anomalies like Bobby Shantz, the "short" pitcher is a rare breed that usually has to be twice as good just to get a look.
The Current King of the Hill: Marcus Stroman
Right now, if you’re looking for the shortest pitcher in MLB, the conversation starts and ends with Marcus Stroman. Currently a key piece of the New York Yankees rotation, Stroman is famously listed at 5-foot-7.
Honestly? Some scouts and fans think that might even be a generous measurement.
Stroman has turned his height—or lack thereof—into a personal brand. His "Height Doesn’t Measure Heart" (HDMH) mantra isn't just a catchy hashtag for Instagram. It’s a survival mechanism. He’s 180 pounds of pure explosive energy. He doesn't have the downward plane that a 6-foot-8 pitcher has, so he compensates with elite athleticism and a sinker that moves like it’s falling off a table.
It’s working.
He’s a two-time All-Star and a Gold Glover. He’s logged over 1,300 innings in the big leagues. In an era where every team is looking for the next Randy Johnson-sized fireballer, Stroman has carved out a decade-long career by being smarter and more durable than the giants. He uses a complex delivery with varied timing to mess with a hitter's internal clock. It’s a chess match, and he’s usually three moves ahead.
Going Back in Time: The Real Shortest Pitchers in History
While Stroman is the modern face of the "short king" pitchers, he isn't the shortest to ever toe the rubber. If we look at the history books, the numbers get even smaller.
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Bobby Shantz (5'6")
Bobby Shantz is perhaps the most successful "small" pitcher in the history of the game. Standing 5-foot-6, Shantz didn't just survive in the 1950s; he dominated. In 1952, playing for the Philadelphia Athletics, he won 24 games and took home the American League MVP award.
Imagine that. A guy 5-foot-6 winning the MVP in a league full of power hitters.
He won eight consecutive Gold Gloves. People said his height gave him an advantage on defense because he was already so close to the ground, making him basically a fifth infielder. Shantz proved that agility and a nasty curveball could neutralize any height deficit.
Dinty Gearin (5'4")
If you want to get really technical about the "shortest" ever to pitch more than a gimmick inning, Dennis "Dinty" Gearin usually takes the title. He stood just 5-foot-4. He pitched for the New York Giants back in 1923. He didn't have a long career—only pitching in about 14 innings—but he remains a statistical marvel.
The Eddie Gaedel Exception
We have to mention Eddie Gaedel, even though he wasn't a pitcher. Gaedel is the shortest player in MLB history at 3-foot-7. It was a 1951 publicity stunt by St. Louis Browns owner Bill Veeck. Gaedel walked on four pitches because his strike zone was roughly the size of a shoebox. He never played again, and the league immediately banned "midgets" from signing contracts. It's a weird, slightly uncomfortable piece of history, but it's the absolute floor for height in the majors.
Why Teams Are Scared of Short Pitchers
It's not just bias. There is some actual science behind why scouts prefer tall pitchers.
- The Release Point: A taller pitcher releases the ball closer to home plate. This reduces the time the hitter has to react.
- The Downward Angle: When a 6-foot-10 pitcher throws a fastball, it’s coming down at a steep angle. It’s harder to hit a ball moving on two planes (vertical and horizontal) than a ball that comes in flat.
- Durability: There’s an old-school belief that smaller bodies break down faster under the stress of 100 pitches a game.
Stroman and others have spent their lives debunking that third point. In fact, some modern kinesiologists argue that smaller, more compact athletes might actually have better mechanics because they don't have as many moving parts to sync up.
The Active Short List
Besides Stroman, there are a few other guys hovering under the 6-foot mark who are holding it down for the smaller guys.
- Yuki Matsui (5'8"): The San Diego Padres signed this Japanese standout who proved himself as a dominant closer in the NPB before coming over. He doesn't have the height, but his splitter is devastating.
- Valente Bellozo (5'10"): A newer name on the scene, showing that you can still get big league outs without being a physical specimen if your command is sharp.
- Sonny Gray (5'10"): While 5-foot-10 isn't "short" in the real world, in MLB, he’s a shrimp. Yet, Gray has been one of the most consistent starters of the last decade. He uses incredible spin rates to make up for his lack of a towering presence.
The Mental Game of the Small Pitcher
You can't be the shortest pitcher in MLB without a chip on your shoulder. You just can't.
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Every coach desde Little League has told these guys they should probably try second base. Every scout has written "limited ceiling" in their reports. That kind of constant rejection breeds a specific type of competitive fire.
When you watch Stroman pitch, you see it. The shimmy, the stares, the intensity. He’s playing a different game. He knows he can't just "out-physique" the hitter. He has to out-work, out-think, and out-hustle them.
How to Scout for the Next "Small" Ace
If you're a fan watching a game and you see a guy under 6-feet on the mound, don't write him off. Look for these three things that almost all successful short pitchers possess:
- Lower-Half Power: Because they don't have long arms to generate whip, they use their legs like pistons. Check out the quad size on guys like Stroman or Altuve (who isn't a pitcher but shares the build).
- Elite Spin: If you can't throw 102 mph from a 7-foot release point, your ball needs to move. Short pitchers usually have high-RPM sliders or curveballs.
- Fielding: Short pitchers are almost always better athletes. They have to be. They treat the mound like a defensive position, not just a place to stand and throw.
The era of the "unusually short" pitcher might be fading as the league obsesses over "velocity at all costs," but as long as Marcus Stroman is winning games in the Bronx, the door isn't closed. It just takes a lot more work to walk through it when you have to reach a little higher for the doorknob.
Actionable Insight for Fans and Players:
If you’re a young pitcher who isn’t hitting a growth spurt, stop trying to mimic the mechanics of a 6-foot-6 power pitcher. Focus on mobility, leg strength, and varying your delivery timing. Study Marcus Stroman’s "quick pitch" and his use of the slide step. Success for a shorter pitcher comes from being unpredictable and using your athleticism to create angles that hitters aren't used to seeing from a lower release point.