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Top 10 tallest players in MLB history: Where does Aaron Slegers rank?

Top 10 tallest players in MLB history: Where does Aaron Slegers rank?

TOI Sports Desk / TIMESOFINDIA.COM / May 30, 2025, 01:26 IST

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Aaron Slegers, standing at 6'10", is among the tallest players in MLB history. He debuted in 2017 and played for the Twins, Rays, and Angels over five seasons. Despite a relatively short career marked by a 5.46 ERA, Slegers' height secures his place in baseball record books, sharing the sixth spot among the league's giants.

Top 10 tallest players in MLB history: Where does Aaron Slegers rank?

Image Source: Getty

Height has always given a distinct advantage in Major League Baseball, particularly for a pitcher. These tall pitchers don’t cover ground simply by being there. They generate an awful lot of angles and leverage that the hitter has to combat. Among the league's true giants, then-former MLB pitcher Aaron Slegers stands tall in one sense of the phrase, at least. But where does he stack up, exactly, among the tallest players in MLB history?

The 10 tallest players in Major League Baseball history

Jon Rauch – 6'11" (211 cm)
The tallest player in MLB history, Rauch pitched from 2002 to 2013 and made over 500 appearances as a reliable reliever.
Sean Hjelle – 6'11" (211 cm)
Currently with the San Francisco Giants, Hjelle is tied with Rauch as the tallest to ever play in the majors.
Randy Johnson – 6'10" (208 cm)
A Hall of Famer and five-time Cy Young Award winner, “The Big Unit” is widely considered the greatest tall pitcher of all time.
Eric Hillman – 6'10" (208 cm)
Hillman pitched in the early 1990s for the New York Mets and later found success in Japan.
Chris Young – 6'10" (208 cm)
An MLB All-Star in 2007, Young enjoyed a 13-year career and now serves as general manager of the Texas Rangers.
Aaron Slegers – 6'10" (208 cm)
The former Minnesota Twins, Tampa Bay Rays, and Los Angeles Angels pitcher shares the sixth spot in height and remains one of the tallest pitchers to toe an MLB rubber.
Mark Hendrickson – 6'9" (206 cm)
A rare two-sport athlete, Hendrickson played in both the NBA and MLB, pitching over 500 innings in his baseball career.
Bailey Ober – 6'9" (206 cm)
Currently pitching for the Minnesota Twins, Ober is making a name for himself as one of the tallest active starters.
Tony Clark – 6'8" (203 cm)
Now the head of the MLB Players Association, Clark played 15 seasons as a first baseman and switch-hitter.
Dellin Betances – 6'8" (203 cm)
Known for his dominant relief work with the Yankees, Betances was a four-time All-Star with a powerful fastball.

Aaron Slegers has a towering presence on and off the field

Slegers made his major league debut on August 17, 2017. He was drafted by the Minnesota Twins in 2013 after playing college baseball at Indiana University. He was distinctive in part because of his 6-foot-10-inch size, and particularly where his downhill plane made for a challenging angle on hitters.Slegers played five seasons in the majors for the Twins, the Tampa Bay Rays, and the Los Angeles Angels. He appeared in 49 games (6 starts) and was 3-4 with a 5.46 ERA, as well as 59 strikeouts in 89 innings. He last played in the M.L.B. in 2021 and retired in January 2023 due to a shoulder injury that wouldn’t heal.Also Read: Why the Los Angeles Angels' offence continues to struggle after loss to the New York YankeesAlthough his numbers were nondescript, Aaron Slegers is still notable in baseball history for his height, tied for sixth-tallest all time. To fans of the largest pro athletes in baseball, Slegers' name will forever be in the record books.

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TOI Sports Desk

The TOI Sports Desk excels in a myriad of roles that capture the essence of live sporting events and deliver compelling content to readers worldwide. From running live blogs for India and non-India cricket matches to global spectacles featuring Indian talents, like the Chess World Cup final featuring Praggnanandhaa and the Badminton World Championships semifinal featuring HS Prannoy, our live coverage extends to all mega sporting events. We extensively cover events like the Olympics, Asian Games, Cricket World Cups, FIFA World Cups, and more. The desk is also adept at writing comprehensive match reports and insightful post-match commentary, complemented by stats-based articles that provide an in-depth analysis of player performances and team dynamics. We track news wires for key stories, conduct exclusive player interviews in both text and video formats, and file content from print editions and reporters. We keep track of all viral stories, trending topics and produce our own copies on the subjects. We deliver accurate, engaging, and up-to-the-minute sports content, round the clock.

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