Top 15 Shortest MLB Players of All Time in 2025

Major League Baseball is worlds one of the major professional sports leagues of baseball in the United States and Canada. Baseball is also one of the toughest bat and ball sports in which two teams with nine players play nine innings. 

The team with the most winning innings will be the winner of the game. Each baseball inning is divided into two halves and lasts only 20-30 minutes. 

Being a baseball player is not a simple job, especially when you have to hit the ball with a rounded bat which comes at batter with flashing speed. The MLB players are world-strong athletes with an average height of 6 feet and 1 inch tall. 

However, that’s not always the case. There are some of the renowned MLB players who didn’t qualify for the average baseball player height criteria. Yet these players made it to the MLB and became the World’s shortest MLB players.

In this article, we will talk about to 15 shortest MLB players in 2025 and uncover some amazing facts about these short MLB players of all time. 

Here are our top 15 shortest MLB players of All time in 2025.  

Top Shortest MLB Players of All Time

15. Marcus Stroman 

• Born: 1 May 1991
• Height: 5 feet 7 inches of 1.73 meter
• Teams: Toronto Blue Jays, New York Mets, and Chicago Cubs
• Position: Pitcher

Marcus Stroman is one of the shortest active MLB players is only 1.73 meters tall. 32-year-old, Marcus Stroman played two years for the Chicago Cubs as Pitcher. In 2017, Marcus was the World Baseball Classic MVP and won a Golden Glove award. Recently, the Cubs relieved Marcus Stroman ahead of the 2025 MLB season.

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14. Masataka Yoshida

• Born: 15 July 1993
• Height: 5 feet 7 inches of 1.73 meter
• Teams: Boston Red Sox 
• Position: Leftfielder and designated hitter

Masataka Yoshida is only 5 feet and 7 inches tall and is one of the shortest MLB players of all time. Yoshida is a Japanese Professional Baseball player who plays for the Boston Red Sox in the MLB series. 

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13. Yogi Berra

• Born: 12 May 1925
• Height: 5 feet 7 inches of 1.73 meter
• Teams: New York Yankees and New York Mets
• Position: Catcher and Outfielder

Yogi Berra, is a former American Baseball player who played a crucial role in the Yankees 10 World Series Championship. Yogi Berra was also the one of shortest MLB players who was only 1.73 meters tall. In Yogi’s 19 seasons of MLB, Berra was the 18-time all-time star, the most in MLB history. In 1972, Yogi Berra became the Baseball Hall of Famer for his greatest accomplishments in MLB history.

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12. Joe Morgan 

• Born: 19 September 1943
• Height: 5 feet 7 inches
• Teams: Houston Colts .45s, Cincinnati Reds, Houston Astros, San Fransico Giants, Philadelphia Phillies, Oakland Athletics
• Position:  Second Baseman

Two-time World Series Champion with Red Joe Morgan was on our top 15 shortest MLB player list.  Morgan also won National League Most Valuable Player during his winning World Series with the Reds. He played as a second baseman for many MLB teams including Houston Colts, Astros, San Fransico Giants, and Philadelphia Phillies. Morgan was nicknamed as ‘Little Joe’ for his small height. 1990 Baseball Hall of Famer Joe Morgan was one of the most distinguished second basemen of all time. He served as a baseball broadcaster for ABC and ESPN after retirement.

Also see: Top 15 Shortest MLB Players of All Time    

11. David Eckstein

• Born: 20 January 1975
• Height: 5 feet 6 inches
• Teams: Anaheim Angels, St. Louis Cardinals, Toronto Blue Jays, Arizona Diamondbacks, San Deigo Padres 
• Position: Shortstop, Infielder

David Mark Eckstein was a former baseball player and one of the shortest active MLB players 5 feet 6 inches in height. Eckstein only played 10 seasons as an infielder in the MLB seasons and won the 2006 World Series Most Valuable Player award. David married ‘That So Raven’ actress Ashley Drane.    

10. Kolten Wong 

• Born: 10 October 1990
• Height: 5 feet 7 inches
• Teams: St. Louis Cardinals, Milwaukee Brewers, Seattle Mariners, Los Angeles Dodgers
• Position: Second Baseman

Kolten Wong is another shortest MLB player who used to play for the Los Angeles Dodgers. Kolten Wong is 5 feet and 7 inches taller and played for the St. Louis Cardinals, Milwaukee Brewers, and Seattle Mariners before joining the forces with Dodgers. 33-years-old, Kolten Wong is a free agent entering the 2025 season.  

9. Tony Kemp

• Born: 31 October 1991
• Height: 5 feet 6 inches or 1.70 m 
• Teams: Oakland Athletics, Chicago Cubs, Houston Astros
• Position: Second Baseman and Left Feilder

Tony Kemp is one of the shortest MLB players who currently plays in the MLB.   32-year-old Tony Kemp mostly played for the Oakland Athletics as a left fielder and second baseman. Kemp is also the shortest MLB player of all time. 2013 MLB draft Tony Kemp is a free agent in 2025.  

8. Joe Sesell 

• Born: 9 October 1898
• Height: 5 feet 6 inches or 1.69 m
• Teams: Cleveland Indians and New York Yankees
• Position: Shortstop, Third Baseman

Joseph Wheeler Sewell was only 1.69 meters tall and one of the shortest all-time hall of famer MLB players in history. In Sewell baseball career, he only played for the Yankees and Cleveland Indians and became a member of two World Series-winning teams. 1977 Baseball Hall of Famer, Joseph Sewell also holds the record for the lowest strikeout rate of an average of only once every 73 appearances.    

7. Bobby Shantz

• Born: 25 September 1925
• Height: 5 feet 6 inches
• Teams: Philadelphia Athletics, Kansas City Athletics, New York Yankees, Pittsburgh Pirates, Houston Colts, St. Loius Cardinals, Chicago Cubs 
• Position: Pitcher

Bobby Shantz is another shortest MLB player, 5 feet and 6 inches taller only. Left-handed pitcher, Bobby Shantz played for many teams in his MLB overall career including New York Yankees, Chicago Cubs, and Pittsburgh Pirates. 3-time all-star champion Bobby Shantz won eight golden gloves and won the World Champion series with the Yankees in 1958. He is also the oldest living MVP player in the history. 

6. Phil Rizzuto

• Born: 25 September 1917
• Height: 5 feet 6 inches
• Teams: New York Yankees 
• Position: Shortstop

Phil Rizzuto is next on our shortest MLB player of all time with only 5 feet and 6 inches in height. For all his life, Rizzuto played only for the New York Yankees as a shortstop position. After his 13-year-long career, Phil Rizzuto broadcasted Yankees games on a radio show. Phil Rizzuto nicknamed ‘the Scooter’ was also famous for his catchphrase ‘Holy cow’ and ‘Did you see that’ addressing players with incredible performance. 

5. Hack Wilson

• Born:  26 April 1900
• Height: 5 feet 6 inches
• Teams: New York Giants, Chicago Cubs, Brooklyn Dodgers, Philadelphia Phillies 
• Position: Centerfielder

Lewis Robert “Hack” Wilson was only 5 feet and 6 inches tall and one of the shortest baseball players. However, Hack Wilson’s small stature never dragged him back. In fact, Wilson was one of the most accomplished hitters in the 1920- 1930 with his 56 home runs. He played as centerfield for the New York Giants, Chicago Cubs, Brooklyn Dodgers, and Philadelphia Phillies. 

4. José Altuve

• Born: 6 May 1990
• Height: 5 feet 6 inches
• Teams: Houston Astros
• Position: Second Baseman 

Jose Altuve is a Venezuelan professional baseball player and one of the shortest all-time players in baseball history. Altuve is only 5 feet and 6 inches taller and plays for the Houston Astros as a second Baseman.  

3. Freddie Patek

• Born: 9 October 1944
• Height: 5 feet 5 inches
• Teams: Pittsburgh Pirates, Kansas City Royals, California Angels
• Position: Shortstop 

Freddie Joseph Patek was the shortest MLB player of all time with 5’ 5” taller. Freddie Patek also known by his nicknames ‘The Cricket’ and ‘The Flea’, played as shortstop for the Pittsburgh Pirates Kansas City Royals, and California Angels. After he retired from baseball he worked as a color commentator for the Texas Rangers.  

2. Rabbit Maranville

• Born: 11 November 1891
• Height: 5 feet 5 inches 
• Teams: Boston Braves, Pittsburgh Pirates, Chicago Cubs, Brooklyn Robins, St. Loius Cardinals  
• Position: Shortstop and second baseman 

Walter James Vincent Maranville was the full name of the world’s second-shortest all-time MLB player. Rabbit Marnville was only 5’5” taller and played as a shortstop and second baseman in baseball. 1954 Hall of Famer debuted in 1912 at the age of 20. Marville’s record of 23 seasons playing in the national league was one of the biggest achievements and wasn’t broken until 1986 by Pete Rose. 

1. Eddie Gaedel

• Born: 8 June 1925
• Height: 3 feet and 5 inches
• Teams: St. Louis Browns, 
• Position: Pinch Hitter

Eddie Gaedel is only 3 feet 5 inches tall the shortest MLB player of all time. He was born in Chicago, Illinois. Eddie Gaedel played only one season for the St. Louis Brown team as a pinch hitter. Gaedel was also one of only five major league players with his only plate appearance but never played on the field. 

So these are the top 15 shortest MLB players listed in 2025 of all time in history. 

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