Players Weigh Up
I knew that this was a trend, but I didn’t realize how sharp a trend it was.
Number of MLB players weighing 250 lbs. or more.
2008 23 Prince Fielder / Jose Valverde / Tyler Walker / Bobby Jenks / Frank Thomas / J.J. Putz / Boof Bonser / Carlos Zambrano / Justin Masterson / Nick Blackburn / Adam Russell / Chris Young / C.C. Sabathia / Jason Botts / Chris Britton / Jeff Fulchino / Brad Nelson / Bartolo Colon / Chad Paronto / Jeff Niemann / Eddie Kunz / Jason Hirsh / Ryan Bukvich 2006 19 Prince Fielder / Frank Thomas / J.J. Putz / Bobby Jenks / Andrew Sisco / Chad Paronto / Chris Britton / Jose Valverde / Carlos Zambrano / Chris Young / C.C. Sabathia / Tyler Walker / Jason Botts / Boof Bonser / Bartolo Colon / Jason Hirsh / Joel Guzman / Colter Bean / Jeff Fulchino 2007 18 Prince Fielder / Frank Thomas / J.J. Putz / Bobby Jenks / Jose Valverde / Jason Botts / Ryan Bukvich / Chad Paronto / Carlos Zambrano / C.C. Sabathia / Boof Bonser / Chris Young / Andrew Sisco / Bartolo Colon / Jason Hirsh / Joel Guzman / Tyler Walker / Jonathan Albaladejo 2005 17 Andrew Sisco / Tyler Walker / J.J. Putz / Jose Valverde / Prince Fielder / Carlos Zambrano / Frank Thomas / Bartolo Colon / Bobby Jenks / Chris Young / C.C. Sabathia / J.J. Davis / Walter Young / Jason Botts / Calvin Pickering / Ryan Bukvich / Colter Bean 2004 13 Frank Thomas / J.J. Putz / Tyler Walker / Bucky Jacobsen / Calvin Pickering / Bartolo Colon / Carlos Zambrano / C.C. Sabathia / Jose Valverde / J.J. Davis / Ryan Bukvich / Chris Young / Jeff D'Amico 2003 10 Frank Thomas / Jose Valverde / Bartolo Colon / Carlos Zambrano / C.C. Sabathia / Jeff D'Amico / J.J. Davis / Ryan Bukvich / Chad Paronto / J.J. Putz 2002 10 Frank Thomas / C.C. Sabathia / Carlos Zambrano / Chad Paronto / Jeff D'Amico / Rich Garces / Ryan Bukvich / Bartolo Colon / J.J. Davis / Tyler Walker 2001 9 Rich Garces / Bartolo Colon / C.C. Sabathia / Chad Paronto / Frank Thomas / Calvin Pickering / Bobby Munoz / Jeff D'Amico / Carlos Zambrano 1999 7 Frank Thomas / Bartolo Colon / Rich Garces / Calvin Pickering / Steve Rain / Jeff Juden / Jeff D'Amico 1998 6 Frank Thomas / Bartolo Colon / Rich Garces / Calvin Pickering / Bobby Munoz / Jeff Juden 1997 6 Frank Thomas / Jeff D'Amico / Bartolo Colon / Rich Garces / Bobby Munoz / Jeff Juden 2000 5 Frank Thomas / Rich Garces / Steve Rain / Bartolo Colon / Jeff D'Amico 1996 5 Frank Thomas / Rich Garces / Jeff Juden / Jeff D'Amico / Bobby Munoz 1995 5 Frank Thomas / Jeff Juden / Sam Horn / Rich Garces / Bobby Munoz 1993 5 Frank Thomas / Bobby Munoz / Sam Horn / Rich Garces / Jeff Juden 1994 4 Frank Thomas / Bobby Munoz / Willie Smith / Jeff Juden 1990 4 Sam Horn / Frank Thomas / Chuck Malone / Rich Garces 1991 3 Frank Thomas / Sam Horn / Jeff Juden 1989 3 Joey Meyer / Sam Horn / Tim Stoddard 1988 3 Joey Meyer / Tim Stoddard / Sam Horn
In every other season there were no more than 2.
Of course there are many different reasons that a player can weigh that much…
Here are the teams with the most in 2008.
2008 NL Milwaukee Brewers 3 Prince Fielder / C.C. Sabathia / Brad Nelson 2008 AL Boston Red Sox 2 Justin Masterson / Bartolo Colon 2008 AL Chicago White Sox 2 Bobby Jenks / Adam Russell 2008 NL Houston Astros 2 Jose Valverde / Chad Paronto 2008 AL Minnesota Twins 2 Boof Bonser / Nick Blackburn 2008 AL Baltimore Orioles 1 Ryan Bukvich 2008 NL Chicago Cubs 1 Carlos Zambrano 2008 AL Cleveland Indians 1 C.C. Sabathia 2008 NL Colorado Rockies 1 Jason Hirsh 2008 AL Kansas City Royals 1 Jeff Fulchino 2008 NL New York Mets 1 Eddie Kunz 2008 AL New York Yankees 1 Chris Britton 2008 AL Oakland Athletics 1 Frank Thomas 2008 NL San Diego Padres 1 Chris Young 2008 AL Seattle Mariners 1 J.J. Putz 2008 NL San Francisco Giants 1 Tyler Walker 2008 AL Tampa Bay Rays 1 Jeff Niemann 2008 AL Texas Rangers 1 Jason Botts 2008 AL Toronto Blue Jays 1 Frank Thomas
i refuse to believe that cecil fielder didn’t ever weigh in at 250+.
Comment by damthesehigheels — October 7, 2008 @ 7:57 am
What is your source? Both Joe Blanton and Ryan Howard are listed on the Phillies’ web site as weighing 255, yet neither appears on your list.
Comment by apreziosi — October 7, 2008 @ 9:01 am
Cecil Fielder never got a proper weigh in, he always broke the scale.
Comment by Jgeller — October 7, 2008 @ 9:04 am
Fielder’s weight was officially listed as “Three Spins”.
Comment by apreziosi — October 7, 2008 @ 10:14 am
Obviously the source is B-R, which probably takes whatever weight figures are provided when a player first reaches the majors and doesn’t update them. The individual numbers will not be accurate no matter where you get them, but in the aggregate they do illuminate an interesting trend.
Comment by JohnnyTwisto — October 7, 2008 @ 10:57 am
Perhaps a way to counter that is to see what the average increase in a person’s weight is over a 10 year span (minimum for full pension for a player) and search by 250 minus that amount
Comment by Jgeller — October 7, 2008 @ 11:01 am
B-R has Big Daddy Fielder (that name seems even more appropriate now than when he was playing) at 6-03 240.
Here are the other player listed with the same figures.
1 Garrett Mock 6.03 240 2008 2008
2 Rafael Medina 6.03 240 1998 1999
3 Pete Ladd 6.03 240 1979 1986
4 Travis Hafner 6.03 240 2002 2008
5 Cecil Fielder 6.03 240 1985 1998
6 Erubiel Durazo 6.03 240 1999 2005
7 Bobby Bonilla 6.03 240 1986 2001
Comment by Raphy — October 7, 2008 @ 12:24 pm
he’s listed as 6′6″ and 240 but i gotta imagine adam dunn tips the scales somewhere north of 250 lbs.
Comment by vincent75 — October 9, 2008 @ 11:32 am
Jonathan Broxton, the Dodgers new closer, weighs 290 pounds.
Comment by Ballpark Guy — October 13, 2008 @ 3:31 pm