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Unlike in basketball and football, being athletic isn’t a huge requirement in baseball. Ballplayers can be overweight yet still be able to produce every single game. Some of the heaviest MLB players of all time had long and successful careers. We’re counting down to reach the heaviest MLB player ever.
Heaviest MLB player
The heaviest baseball players often relied on their hitting and pitching skills rather than their athleticism. They might be overweight but their skills proved that they belong in the major leagues. Even the legendary Babe Ruth was considered overweight throughout his career.
Here are the ten fattest MLB players of all time…
10. Carlos Lee, 275 lbs
Nicknamed as “El Caballo”, Carlos Lee is a former Panamanian left fielder and first baseman who mostly played for the Milwaukee Brewers and Houston Astros.
Lee had three All-Star appearances and won the Silver Slugger Award twice in 14 seasons. Despite his 275-pound frame, he was a very good athlete and could actually run faster than those lighter than him. He was also a powerful and efficient hitter. Now you know why they called him “The Horse”.
To top it off, Lee recorded 358 home runs and batted an impressive .285 for his career.
9. Prince Fielder, 275 lbs
Arguably the most accomplished player on this list, Prince Fielder accumulated six All-Star appearances, three Silver Slugger Awards, two Homerun Derby championships (the third player to win two HR Derby contests in history), and the American League Comeback Player of the Year Award in just 12 seasons.
He was always known as a power hitter, just like his father, Cecil Fielder. The 275-pound first baseman recorded 319 home runs throughout his career.
Fielder suffered from a devastating neck injury in 2016 which derailed his career. Huge props to one of the heaviest MLB players ever for what he accomplished in just 12 seasons.
8. Jose Ceda, 280 lbs
Jose Ceda started pitching with the San Diego Padres and the Chicago Cubs early in his career. However, it was only in 2010 when he made his MLB debut with the Florida Marlins.
The 6-foot-5 280-pound relief pitcher played a total of 25 games with the Marlins. He had a record of 0-1 with no saves and an ERA of 4.66.
In 2012, Ceda underwent the dreaded Tommy John surgery and spent the rest of the season on the disabled list. He attempted a comeback the year after, looking bigger than ever.
7. Calvin Pickering, 283 lbs
Like Jose Ceda, there’s not much to say about Calvin Pickering‘s MLB career. He was listed at 6 foot 5 inches and 283 pounds during his time in the league. Pickering played for four different teams in his five seasons in the MLB. Throughout his career, he batted .223 and hit 14 home runs.
After his short stint in MLB, Pickering went international and played in different countries such as Mexico and Korea.
In 2007, Pickering signed with the Kansan City T-Bones, now known as the Monarchs, in the independent Northern League. There, he batted .310 and recorded 18 home runs. He then signed with the Bridgeport Bluefish and Schaumburg Flyers later in his career.
6. Jonathan Broxton, 285 lbs
Jonathan Broxton is a former relief pitcher who played for five different teams in his 13 years in MLB. His best years came from his time with the Los Angeles Dodgers where he was selected as an All-Star on two occasions.
Broxton was officially listed at 6 foot 5 inches and 285 pounds. Despite being overweight, he used his strength as an advantage to throw fastballs. Broxton reached above the triple-digit readings and recorded a 102.6 mph fastball in 2009.
Injuries eventually caught up to Broxton towards the end of his career. He wasn’t the same player before but he was still a serviceable relief pitcher for the Cardinals.
5. Bartolo Colon, 285 lbs
Bartolo Colon pitched for 11 different MLB teams throughout 21 seasons. “The Big Sexy” was listed at 5 foot 11 inches and 285 pounds, making him one of the fattest baseball players ever.
Being overweight didn’t stop him from playing well with every team he went to. Colon won the Cy Young Award in 2005 after leading the American League in wins and received four All-Star selections throughout his career. He also holds the MLB record of being the oldest player at 42 to hit his first career home run.
Colon is currently a free agent. He’s adamant that his career is not yet over and wants to return to the major leagues. There’s no doubt that he can still produce in today’s game.
4. Dmitri Young, 295 lbs
One of the heaviest MLB players ever, Dmitri Young was listed at 6 foot 2 inches and 295 pounds. He played several positions in his 13 seasons in the MLB as a left fielder, first baseman, and designated hitter.
Young suffered from diabetes and alcoholism which caused him to gain considerable amounts of weight. This slowed him down but he was still producing on a daily basis. He was nicknamed “Da Meat Hook” during his time with the Detroit Tigers.
Young won the National League Comeback Player of the Year Award in 2007 with the Washington Nationals. He was also a two-time All-Star.
3. Jumbo Brown, 295 lbs
Before Walter Young played for the Orioles in 2005, Jumbo Brown was considered the heaviest MLB player of all time. Brown was known for being a relief pitcher for the New York Yankees, joining the first batch of relief pitchers in MLB.
Brown had his tonsils removed in the ’28 offseason, causing him to gain 68 pounds. His weight continued to go up and down throughout his career but it was reported that he reached 295 pounds at some point.
He was a member of the Yankees roster when Babe Ruth made his “called shot” in the 1932 World Series. New York ultimately won the series but Brown did not appear in the series.
2. CC Sabathia, 300 lbs
Officially listed at 6 foot 6 inches and 300 pounds, CC Sabathia is one of the heaviest pitchers on this list, if not the heaviest.
Sabathia had a plethora of achievements under his belt. He received the Cy Young Award in 2007 with the Indians, won the World Series with the Yankees in 2009, and was selected as an All-Star on six occasions. He was also named the ALCS MVP.
His performances started to diminish later in his career as he succumbed to his age and injuries. Still, he was able to produce on a daily basis even as an “old and fat guy”.
Sabathia recently retired as a Yankee in 2019. Despite being overweight, he had a long and successful career and will always be remembered as one of the best pitchers in the modern era.
1. Walter Young, 320 lbs
The heaviest MLB player of all time, Walter Young was officially listed at 6 foot 5 inches and 320 pounds when he played for the Baltimore Orioles in 2005. He only played one season with the Orioles as a first baseman and designated hitter.
At the start of his career, Young turned down a scholarship offer from Lousiana State University and signed with the Pittsburgh Pirates. He was selected in the 31st round of the 1999 MLB Draft but was ultimately released by the Pirates in 2004.
Baltimore rolled the dice and took him from waivers. In 14 games with the Orioles, Young finished with a .303 batting average and hit one home run in his 33 career at bats. After the season, Young never saw Major League action again.
Young suffered a heart attack and passed away in 2015 at only 35 years old.
