Okay, so the other day I was just kicking back, watching some baseball highlights, you know? And this pitcher comes up, dude looked like a giant on the mound. Made me think, who’s actually the absolute tallest guy to ever play in the big leagues? Just one of those random thoughts that pops into your head.
My First Pass
So, naturally, I grabbed my phone and just typed in something basic like “tallest MLB player”. Got a few names right away, which was expected. But you know how the internet is, sometimes you get slightly different answers, or maybe outdated stuff first. Saw a couple of familiar names, guys known for being tall, but wasn’t sure who really held the top spot.
Digging a Bit Deeper
Right, so a quick search wasn’t quite cutting it for a definitive answer. I figured I needed to check some spots that actually keep track of this stuff properly. You know, the sites dedicated to baseball stats and history. Started looking through lists, trying to filter by height, that sort of thing. It’s funny how finding what seems like a simple fact can sometimes take a few tries. Reminds me of trying to figure out who’s really in charge of fixing a bug back in my old office days – everyone points fingers!
The Names That Kept Popping Up
After poking around on those stat sites, a few names solidified as the main contenders. These guys were consistently mentioned:
- Jon Rauch: Pitched for quite a few teams. Always heard he was massive.
- Sean Hjelle: A more recent guy, pitcher for the Giants. Also huge.
- Loek van Mil: Remembered hearing about him, think he only pitched briefly but was definitely up there in height.
It seemed like the record wasn’t just held by one legendary old-timer, but maybe shared or passed around a bit more recently.
So, Who Is It Then?
Okay, after comparing the numbers and checking across a few reliable places, it seems pretty clear. The title for the tallest player in MLB history isn’t held by just one guy. Both Jon Rauch and Sean Hjelle are listed at 6 feet 11 inches (that’s about 211 cm for folks using metric). Apparently, they share the record.
Loek van Mil was often listed as even taller, like 7-foot-1, but his official MLB height seems to be recorded alongside the other two at 6’11” for his brief time there. So Rauch and Hjelle are the guys usually cited for the official record.
It’s kinda wild thinking about someone that tall winding up for a pitch. Must look really intimidating from the batter’s box. Anyway, that scratched my itch. Just wanted to know, did some digging, and found the answer. Pretty straightforward, once you get past the initial web clutter.
