The Case of the Incredible Shrinking Twins

[Eric Blonigen]

Look. As someone who has claimed to be six feet tall on the nose for my adult life, I understand embiggening yourself. Round numbers sound better, and can give a bit of an emotional boost. These Minnesota Twins though? Turns out they are just like us, and should not be trusted when it comes to their height.

Image courtesy of Jonathan Dyer-Imagn Images

Okay, I should level with you. The Minnesota Twins are not short kings. The overwhelming majority of them are pretty big dudes. But, most of them are actually shorter than their listed heights. Many have been claiming for years to be taller than they are. Why now are they recanting, and losing inches en masse? What drove the coaching staff to get out their measuring tools, and forcing every hitter to submit to the yoke of forced shortening?

Could it be that Rocco Baldelli is forcing his hitters to acknowledge that he towers over them with his 6'4" stature?

No, it's not that. It’s ABS. Any serious baseball fan is probably aware that MLB is testing out an Automated Ball-Strike System throughout spring training this season. Similar systems have been tested in independent and affiliated baseball dating back to 2019. It’s all but certain that at some point in time — maybe 2026, maybe later — some version of ABS will be coming to Major League Baseball. Perhaps it’ll be a fully-automated robo-ump situation, similar to what the Saint Paul Saints have used over the past couple seasons. There are, of course, labor relations issues that may come into play with a system like that. The MLB Umpires Association is sure to contest the elimination of union jobs.

More likely, fans will experience some form of the challenge system where hitters, pitchers, or catchers can challenge a ball or strike call in real time. Either way, a more accurate understanding of the strike zone as it’s intended in the rulebook will be important for all involved to make the right swing decisions situationally.

Any form of ABS will key the strike zone to players actual heights to determine each player’s relative strike zone. MLB has decided this will be a zone width of 17 inches and height spanning the length between 27% of a batter’s height to 53.5% of a batter’s height. Well, in order to get this right, it’s important to get each hitter’s height right.

Interestingly, just five Twins hitters actual height matches that listed on their baseball cards, their FanGraphs page, or media broadcasts. Who are these beacons of truth? There are three young guys fighting for roster spots and perhaps perceive that bodily veracity could be a differentiator in whether they make the 26-man roster:

• Austin Martin, who both claims to be and is five-foot-eleven
• Edouard Julien, measuring in at his supposed six-feet height
• Brooks Lee, the veritable monster of the trio, who wasn’t lying when he said he’s six-one.

Then, you have two additional guys who let their performance speak for themselves, bringing their real height to the public discourse. Matt Wallner is, as Twins Daily’s Gregg Masterson said in a recent episode of the Twins Off Daily Podcast, a big dude who dings dongs. He is truly the 6'4" he claims to be. You can also get aboard the Buck Truck, ‘cuz Byron Buxton wears his heart on his sleeve and lists his height in the annals of truth.

Everyone else though, don’t believe a word they say. At least, don’t if it’s related to their height. In most cases (all but one, really), players’ real heights are exactly one inch shorter than their listed heights. If a person if feeling charitable, that can be attributed to a simple rounding error. I’m a hair over 5'11", and yeah; that rounds up to six feet. I’ll never begrudge a person for simply applying math best practices, even if they are stretching just a bit. A tippy-toed six feet is still six feet. Ish.

Anyway, without further ado, here are all the guys guilty of declaring themselves the beneficiaries of rounding errors, or physical hubris.

• Christian Vazquez is listed at 5'9". He’s not. He’s 5'8", and that might legitimately be rounding up. Let’s call him five-seven and change. Sorry Vazqy. I still like you.
• Jose Miranda is 6'1", not 6'2". It feels wrong to nitpick a player who set a baseball record for consecutive hits, but facts are facts.
• Willi Castro? Not 6'1". Six flat. But six is good! It’s the number of non-pitcher positions he played in 2024. Own that!
• Carlos Correa. C4, not six-four. He’s actually 6'3". But, he’s still an incredible shortstop, hitter; and team leader, so I’ll give him a pass.
• Ryan Jeffers, similar to Correa, falsely portrayed himself at 6'4" despite being an inch shorter. Let’s call that height framing! He’s stealing an inch from some random umpire.
• Finally, Trevor Larnach. Let’s see…Trevor has six letters, and…you know what? It doesn’t matter. He’s actually 6'3", just like Correa and Jeffers. Still a big dude.

So I teased the fact earlier that one player is a wholly-unreliable height narrator. If you’ve been following along, you probably know just who’s left. That’s right. It’s my guy Royce Lewis. Turns out, 62 is the number of bombs he could hit in a fully-healthy, 162 game season. His actual height, however, is six feet, not 6'2". Even at that relatively diminutive baseball slugger stature, he’s still immensely talented, fun to watch, and capable of carrying a lineup for stretches.

So. We covered why these guys may have demonstrated some self-love by confidently overstating their height. Even though they are mostly a bit shorter than they were last season, it’s okay. Every other team is dealing with the same thing. And in fact, there’s one thing the Twins are wholeheartedly better than the Dodgers at: being more honest about their height.

What do you think? Are you ready for an ABS systems when it eventually arrives?

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[tony&rodney]

Either use the ABS system on every pitch or don't use it at all. If MLB does not use the ABS system, reward the umpires financially for excellence and train/ demote those who don't meet a certain mark.

We have already seen umpires appear a little edgy on so many correct challenges on very close pitches and when the challenges ran out the calls were sloppier. I don't believe the umpires like the challenge system. I think they would prefer another setup.

On my height, I'm 6'-6" and 140 pounds since I can just lie about it. 

[Parfigliano]

Bring on ABS ASAP every pitch.  If a technology is accurate use it.

[Eris]

Very interesting article.
 
Some, but not 2 inches of height difference, can be explained by measuring in bare feet vs with cleats. 

[mikelink45]

Very touchy subject - I was 6 foot, but through damage to my spine I am now 5 9 1/2 and that hurts!

[Patzky]

I truly thought you meant we'd be short of players, after Royce then Brooks and now Mickey getting hurt. Now I see.

[Doctor Gast]

I've been ready for the ABS for a long time. Fairness should trump everything. Umpires are still needed & I'd the umps would appreciate not being continuously called dirty bums. If they don't have call strikes & balls they can focus on other things. 

I like the drama that comes from the challenge but when a hitter that has a good eye that keeps challenging & getting it right it makes the umps look bad & the umps don't like that. then there are batters that don't have a good eye & challenge strike outs & use up their 2 challenges very early. I've heard that umps tend to take revenge against those who make them look bad. from teams that use the challenge system. So I'd rather as before go right into the full ABS.

[Karbo]

There would still be a HP ump to call things like HBP, foul tips, etc.. not to mention plays at the plate. I really don't think the union would have anything to complain about!

[PatPfund]

Yes, yes, yes to ABS! I kind of like the challenge system (last year the Saints used full-system on Tues-Thurs games and challenge Fri-Sun). It keeps a human/strategical element in the system, and from watching lots of MiLB the past few years and MLB this spring, it trains the umpires to be better by holding them to an accountability totally missing currently. Few will get that fired up someone missed a call by .25 inches, but those making terrible calls (balls missing the zone by  a couple ball diameters, or pitches 100% in the zone) are going to clean it up just to avoid the public shaming.

[ashbury]

Rocco looks so small when he's answering questions from the press after the game.  He's always looking up at them from his seated position; he needs to knock that off.  i would have guessed him just a shade below 6', and not 6'4".