The tallest players in MLB history

Height isn't as much of an emphasis in baseball as it is in other sports. This makes it more obvious when a player of taller stature is on the diamond.

In chronological order, here are the eight players in major league history who have measured 6-foot-10 or taller, all of whom are pitchers.

Randy Johnson: When the "Big Unit" made his debut with the Montreal Expos in 1988, he became the first 6-foot-10 player in MLB history. Johnson used his imposing height to his advantage, becoming one of the greatest pitchers of his generation. When he finally retired in 2009, Johnson had five Cy Young Awards, six 300-strikeout seasons and a perfect game. He was an easy first-ballot selection for the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2015.

Eric Hillman: The 6-foot-10 product of Gary, Ind. spent three brief seasons with the New York Mets. Hillman's major league debut came late in the Mets' controversial 1992 season. That offseason, they splurged in free agency by signing Eddie Murray, Willie Randolph, Bobby Bonilla and Bret Saberhagen in the hopes of regaining past glory. Instead, the Mets lost 90 games and finished 24 games out of first place in the National League East. Sound familiar?

Jon Rauch: When Rauch made his major league debut with the Chicago White Sox in 2002, he one-upped Johnson by becoming the tallest player in MLB history at 6-foo-11. For a brief moment in his 11-year tenure, Rauch was a teammate of Johnson's with the 2008 Arizona Diamondbacks. With 6-foot-8 Tony Clark and 6-foot-6 Adam Dunn on that same roster, the D-backs had enough height to challenge the Phoenix Suns.

Chris Young: The 6-foot-10 Dallas native is the scholar of this club, attending Princeton University. Young became the Ivy League's first male two-sport Rookie of the Year by playing baseball and basketball for the Tigers. He showed promise early with the San Diego Padres, earning an All-Star selection in 2007, but injuries unfortunately plagued most of his 13-year tenure.

Andy Sisco: This 6-foot-10 left-hander from Seattle was drafted straight out of high school by the Chicago Cubs in the second round of the 2001 draft. Sisco made his major league debut in 2005 with the Kansas City Royals. He pitched well in his first year, but a cumulative 7.34 ERA over the next two seasons forced him out of the majors by 2008.

Andrew Brackman: The 6-foot-10 native of Cincinnati was considered a phenom in college, succeeding in both baseball and basketball at North Carolina State. Brackman suffered a stress fracture in his hip shortly thereafter, hurting his draft stock. He only had three major league appearances with the New York Yankees in 2011.

Aaron Slegers: Shockingly, this 6-foot-10 right-hander from Phoenix chose to go to Indiana University for baseball rather than basketball. Slegers made occasional appearances between 2017 and 2021 with the Minnesota Twins, Tampa Bay Rays and Los Angeles Angels before a chronic shoulder injury forced him to retire at age 30.

Sean Hjelle: The only active player on this list, the 6-foot-11 Hjelle tied Rauch for the tallest player in MLB history when he was called up by the San Francisco Giants in 2022. Hjelle didn't play any basketball during his time at the University of Kentucky but did play in his high school years in Minnesota. In case you're wondering, his last name is indeed pronounced "jelly." His dunks in basketball were undoubtedly called "Hjelle jams." They had to be.