Small pitchers: how unusual is Dodger World Series star Yoshinobu Yamamoto? And 100 year old Bobby Shantz, 1952 AL MVP.

Look at his height and weight.

Yoshinobu Yamamoto

Position: Pitcher

Bats: Right  •  Throws: Right

5-10, 176lb (178cm, 79kg)

Team: Los Angeles Dodgers (majors)

Born: August 17, 1998 (Age: 27-111d) in Bizen, Japan jp

Debut: March 21, 2024 (Age 25-217d, 23,122nd in major league history)
   vs. SDP 1.0 IP, 4 H, 2 SO, 1 BB, 5 ER, L

Rookie Status: Exceeded rookie limits during 2024 season

2025 World Series
Los Angeles Dodgers over Toronto Blue Jays (4-3)

Dates: October 24 - November 1, 2025

WS MVP: Yoshinobu Yamamoto

He started and won game 6 and relieved and won game 7.

My team, the New York Yankees, considered signing him. When I saw that he was small for an MLB pitcher, I thought that it would be difficult for him to succeed. In 2025: 173 IP, 2.49 ERA, 167 ERA+.

The Yankees are now considering an even lighter Japanese pitcher:

Tatsuya Imai

Position: Pitcher

Bats: Right  •  Throws: Right

5-11, 154lb (180cm, 69kg)

Born: May 9, 1998 (Age: 27-211d)

Full Name: Tatsuya Imai

Only eleven MLB pitchers shorter than 6 feet are in the Hall of Fame:

https://www.sports-reference.com/stathead/tiny/2ykwf

For combined seasons, since 1900, Playing in the AL or NL, a member of the Hall of Fame, player height 5-11 or shorter, in the regular season, requiring Innings Pitched >= 900, sorted by ascending Height (ft & inches).

Rk	Player	Ht	IP	From	To	Age	W	L	W-L%	Dec	ERA	G	GS	CG	SHO	SV	IP	HR	BB	SO	ERA+
1	Jack Chesbro	5-9	2747.2	1900	1909	26-35	192	123	.610	315	2.61	373	315	245	35	5	2747.2	36	631	1237	112
2	Mordecai Brown	5-10	2703.1	1903	1916	26-39	208	111	.652	319	1.93	411	281	236	50	45	2703.1	33	548	1167	146
3	Whitey Ford	5-10	3170.1	1950	1967	21-38	236	106	.690	342	2.75	498	438	156	45	11	3170.1	228	1086	1956	133
4	Burleigh Grimes	5-10	4180.0	1916	1934	22-40	270	212	.560	482	3.53	616	497	314	35	18	4180.0	148	1295	1512	108
5	Kid Nichols	5-10	1070.2	1900	1906	30-36	64	57	.529	121	2.88	131	121	114	12	1	1070.2	24	271	397	115
6	Billy Wagner	5-10	903.0	1995	2010	23-38	47	40	.540	87	2.31	853	0	0	0	422	903.0	82	300	1196	187
7	Stan Coveleski	5-11	3082.0	1912	1928	22-38	215	142	.602	357	2.89	450	385	223	38	21	3082.0	66	802	981	127
8	Ted Lyons	5-11	4161.0	1923	1946	22-45	260	230	.531	490	3.67	594	484	356	27	25	4161.0	222	1121	1073	118
9	Pedro Martínez	5-11	2827.1	1992	2009	20-37	219	100	.687	319	2.93	476	409	46	17	3	2827.1	239	760	3154	154
10	Joe McGinnity	5-11	3075.0	1900	1908	29-37	218	126	.634	344	2.65	417	340	276	28	22	3075.0	49	719	994	118
11	Eddie Plank	5-11	4227.1	1901	1917	25-41	305	183	.625	488	2.37	581	498	387	63	20	4227.1	41	1018	2099	121

Provided by Stathead: Found with Stathead. See Full Results.
Generated 12/6/2025.

Some started before 1900:

Chesbro: 1899

Nichols: 1890, 5,067 IP

McGinnity: 1899

The two who stand out are Whitey Ford and Pedro Martinez. Ford pitched in many WS after WWII and Martinez was a dominant pitcher.

What about pitchers in this millennium with at least 1,000 IP? Some with "From" year 2000 started earlier.

https://www.sports-reference.com/stathead/tiny/JM9IA

For combined seasons, from 2000 to 2025, player height 5-11 or shorter, in the regular season, requiring ERA+ >= 0 and Innings Pitched >= 1000, sorted by ascending Height (ft & inches).

Rk	Player	Ht	IP	ERA+	From	To	Age	W	L	W-L%	Dec	ERA	G	GS	CG	SHO	IP	H	HR	BB	IBB	SO
1	Marcus Stroman	5-7	1497.1	111	2014	2025	23-34	90	87	.508	177	3.79	270	261	4	2	1497.1	1468	145	452	5	1230
2	Sonny Gray	5-10	1918.0	117	2013	2025	23-35	125	102	.551	227	3.58	339	330	7	5	1918.0	1675	192	621	5	1925
3	Mike Hampton	5-10	1225.1	100	2000	2010	27-37	78	72	.520	150	4.54	211	201	8	3	1225.1	1330	122	511	36	686
4	Mike Leake	5-10	1829.0	99	2010	2019	22-31	105	98	.517	203	4.05	301	296	6	2	1829.0	1940	238	403	29	1231
5	Bartolo Colon	5-11	2958.2	104	2000	2018	27-45	211	167	.558	378	4.11	483	472	30	10	2958.2	3096	388	748	36	2150
6	Johnny Cueto	5-11	2256.1	116	2008	2024	22-38	144	113	.560	257	3.52	370	365	18	8	2256.1	2094	253	637	22	1857
7	Elmer Dessens	5-11	1071.1	105	2000	2010	29-39	50	56	.472	106	4.28	380	132	2	1	1071.1	1168	133	319	43	635
8	Cory Lidle	5-11	1236.0	97	2000	2006	28-34	74	70	.514	144	4.62	218	196	11	5	1236.0	1306	152	334	30	780
9	Tim Lincecum	5-11	1682.0	104	2007	2016	23-32	110	89	.553	199	3.74	278	270	10	7	1682.0	1506	147	669	33	1736
10	Pedro Martínez	5-11	1468.0	152	2000	2009	28-37	112	50	.691	162	3.01	227	227	18	6	1468.0	1171	132	350	10	1620
11	Wandy Rodríguez	5-11	1557.1	100	2005	2015	26-36	97	98	.497	195	4.10	275	263	2	2	1557.1	1560	185	534	37	1281
12	Framber Valdez	5-11	1080.2	124	2018	2025	24-31	81	52	.609	133	3.36	188	166	9	3	1080.2	912	87	389	1	1053

Provided by Stathead: Found with Stathead. See Full Results.
Generated 12/6/2025.

Randy Johnson released the ball closer to home plate than at least 99.9% of pitchers.  Friday, January 2, 2015

The biggest by position for more than 100 years: pitchers and first basemen.

Finally, 100 year old Bobby Shantz:

Bobby Shantz

Position: Pitcher

Bats: Right  •  Throws: Left

5-6, 139lb (168cm, 63kg)

Born: September 26, 1925 (Age: 100-071d) (age 100, 71 days) in Pottstown, PA us

1952 American League MVP: 24-7.

Also led AL: WAR, W-L%, WHIP, BB9, SO/BB