He’s got some of the best raw power in the system, and some of that showed up last year.
For now, he could probably play the position, with an eventual move to third base being the best case scenario for the long-term.Ĭruz has value if he can remain at shortstop, or even third base. That might make things difficult if he wants to stick at the position for the long-term. The problem is that Cruz is only 19, and while he has a skinny, athletic frame now, he will add some weight as he gets older and fills out. He hasn’t had any problems bending down, being a waist bender where he doesn’t get into his legs and use it.” Watching him make plays, watching him go from his left to his right and make routine plays, he’s got feel, he’s got instincts there, and just the speed of the game and internal clock works well for him. “He’s a big, long-legged guy, but he moves well. “He’ll get some looks at other spots, but how his body works - the ranginess, and some things that he does there - we want to exhaust that, see how many reps we can get there, and see how it looks.”Ĭruz doesn’t have that typical frame for a shortstop, but the Pirates believe his athleticism allows him to play the position. “It’s probably going to be primarily shortstop,” Pirates’ farm director Larry Broadway said of Cruz’s playing time this year. A lot of players get new positions to add versatility, but Cruz is making the move on a more full-time basis for now. The Pirates play guys at their most valuable position, which is why they’re going to try Cruz at the shortstop spot, more than third base. The thing about him being a shortstop is that he’s 6′ 6″, well above the trend of current tall shortstops. He was playing third base, after originally being listed as a shortstop. The 19-year-old Cruz was acquired last year by the Pirates in the Tony Watson trade. But what the Pirates are trying with Oneil Cruz in the minors right now is even pushing that trend to an extreme. That included two players who are 6′ 4″ - Corey Seager and Carlos Correa - among a large group of players who are 6′ 3″. At 6′ 4″, he didn’t have the typical build for the shortstop position, which is a position that typically ranges on the shorter side.Īccording to a study done last year by Sports on Earth, the average shortstop height is going up, passing a 6′ 1″ average for the first time last year. – Cal Ripken was one of the tallest shortstops in baseball for the longest time. Other sources list Bob Emmerich (1923 Boston Braves) and Mike McCormack (1904 Brooklyn Superbas) among others, who were all listed at 5’3” in the record books.īut those players are long gone, so there is no way to know for sure.BRADENTON, Fla. 293 through 19 games for the 1953 Washington Senators.
Then there’s Pompeyo “Yo-Yo” Davalillo, a 5’3” shortstop who batted. Stubby Magner was a 5’3” middle infielder who logged 11 games with the New York Highlanders (who later became the Yankees) in the dead-ball era.
#AVERAGE SHORTSTOP HEIGHT PROFESSIONAL#
What about real baseball players?Īs far as the shortest player who played in more than one professional game, there is a lot of debate among baseball historians. To no one’s surprise, Gaedel drew a walk in his one and only career plate appearance.īut Gaedel’s plate appearance was just a publicity stunt. 0CuccxmIrT- Super 70s Sports August 19, 2018Īt 3’7”, Eddie Gaedel is the shortest MLB player of all time. Wearing the number "1/8", he walks on four pitches. Louis Browns send 3'7" Eddie Gaedel to the plate. Who Is the Shortest Player in MLB History?
#AVERAGE SHORTSTOP HEIGHT FREE#
Due to his height, scouts thought he lied about his age, and Altuve was laughed off the field in his first big league try-out.īut after signing as an undrafted free agent in 2007, he’s proven everyone wrong – amassing an MVP title and 7 All-Star Game appearances. Jose Altuve is 5’6″ tall, making him the shortest active MLB player. Who Is The Shortest Active MLB Player? Credit-Getty Images
Fans have witnessed players of all shapes and sizes succeed at the sport’s highest level. Baseball is beautiful because it doesn’t discriminate – you can either hit a fastball or you can’t.
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