Anthropometric Evaluation of First Round Draft Selections in Major League Baseball

Abstract

Crotin, RL, Conforti, CM, Szymanski, DJ, and Oseguera, J. Anthropometric Evaluation of first round draft selections in Major League Baseball. J Strength Cond Res 37(8): 1609-1615, 2023-Physical stature effects on future Major League Baseball (MLB) performance and player evaluation are not known among amateurs. Amateur athletes with greater stature were expected to perform at a higher MLB level, play first base or catcher, be drafted earlier, begin earlier MLB careers, and receive higher signing bonuses compared with lower stature players. Publicly available high-school amateur data on 319 first round player selections from 2005 to 2015 identified athletes' body mass, heights, and body mass index (BMI) to determine impacts on MLB Wins Above Replacement (WAR) ratings, draft selection number, signing bonuses, position, educational background, innings pitched, and plate appearances before making an MLB debut. Student t tests split sample data above and below the median to examine mean differences for body mass, height, and BMI, whereas one-way analysis of variance with Bonferroni correction calculated first round selection groups and positional differences in anthropometry at an a priori alpha level of p ≤ 0.05. First basemen and catchers had the highest BMI of all positions ( p < 0.05, d > 0.80), high-school signees had higher BMI than collegiate signees during high-school years ( p < 0.03, d > 0.05), the first 5 selections had higher BMI than the last 5 selections in the first round ( p < 0.05, d = 0.38), all with moderate-to-large effects. High-school pitchers with less body mass reached the MLB level in less innings than heavier pitchers ( p < 0.001, d = 0.62). No anthropometric differences were seen in player WAR ratings. Results indicate a scouting preference toward high-school athletes with greater BMI, yet high-school anthropometrics seem to not influence future MLB performance.