There's no doubt that height can be an advantage in sports, but that doesn't mean shorter men can't compete (and win) at the highest levels.
Whether they're stealing bases during America's favorite pastime, ducking around defenders on the basketball court, or dodging punches in the boxing ring, short men often boast a distinct competitive advantage.
Short on time (heh)? Feel free to jump to one of our Top Three Favorite short athletes:
Want to see the whole list? You're in luck! You can use the sortable table below or keep scrolling for a more details about each athlete (including some fantastic photos).
| Name | Height | Sport |
|---|---|---|
| Tim "Rock" Raines | 5'8" | Baseball |
| Yogi Berra | 5'7" | Baseball |
| Jimmy "J-Roll" Rollins | 5'7" | Baseball |
| Rafael Furcal | 5'8" | Baseball |
| Joe Morgan | 5'7" | Baseball |
| Kirby Puckett | 5'8" | Baseball |
| Phil Rizzuto | 5'6" | Baseball |
| Muggsy Bogues | 5'3" | Basketball |
| Spud Webb | 5'7" | Basketball |
| Mel Hirsch | 5'6" | Basketball |
| Earl Boykins | 5'5" | Basketball |
| Greg Grant | 5'7" | Basketball |
| Pernell "Sweet Pea" Whitaker | 5'6" | Boxing |
| Manny Pacquiao | 5'5 1/2" | Boxing |
| Floyd Mayweather Jr. | 5'8" | Boxing |
| Chris Spealler | 5'5" | Crossfit |
| Josh Bridges | 5'5" | Crossfit |
| Austin Malleolo | 5'5" | Crossfit |
| Roberto Heras | 5'8" | Cycling |
| Paolo Bettini | 5'7" | Cycling |
| David Etxebarria | 5'5" | Cycling |
| Darren Sproles | 5'6" | Football |
| Jack "Soapy" Shapiro | 5'0 1/2" | Football |
| Jim Leonhard | 5'8" | Football |
| Trindon Holliday | 5'5" | Football |
| Ray Rice | 5'8 | Football |
| Bob Sanders | 5'8" | Football |
| Maurice Jones-Drew | 5'7" | Football |
| Brian Gionta | 5'7" | Hockey |
| Bruce Lee | 5'8" | Martial Arts |
| John Dodson | 5'3" | MMA |
| John Lineker | 5'3" | MMA |
| Marcus Brimage | 5'4" | MMA |
| Michel Prazeres | 5'6" | MMA |
| John Howard | 5'7" | MMA |
| Bruno Santos | 5'8" | MMA |
| Demetrious "Mighty Mouse" Johnson | 5'3" | MMA |
| Sean "The Muscle Shark" Sherk | 5'6" | MMA |
| Mark Martin | 5'6" | Racing |
| Jeff Gordon | 5'8" | Racing |
| Rico Abreu | 4'4" | Racing |
| Eddy Hellebuyck | 5'4" | Running |
| Lionel Messi | 5'7" | Soccer |
| Diego Maradona | 5'5" | Soccer |
| Edson Arantes do Nascimento (a.k.a. Pelé) | 5'8" | Soccer |
| Apolo Ohno | 5'8" | Skating |
From baseball and basketball to cycling and MMA, here are 46 famous athletes who reached the very top of their game.
1. Tim “Rock” Raines
5'8″ / Baseball
Tim Raines is widely regarded as one of the greatest leadoff hitters and baserunners in baseball history.
He was the 1986 NL Batting Champion, a seven time All-Star and four time stolen base leader. Not bad for a five foot eight Hall-of-Famer!
2. Yogi Berra
5'7″ / Baseball
This 18-time All-Star is better known for his witty quotes and managerial abilities than his ten World Series championships (still the MLB record for one player).
Berra is also one of only five players to win AL MVP three times.
3. Jimmy “J-Roll” Rollins
5'7″ / Baseball
J-Roll is the Philadelphia Phillies' all-time leader in hits and was regarded as one of the best defensive shortstops in baseball.
His NL MVP in 2007 came right before key contributions to his team's 2008 World Series victory.
4. Rafael Furcal
5'8″ / Baseball
Furcal is a Dominican and former professional baseball shortstop.
He was the National League Rookie of the Year in 2000 with the Atlanta Braves, and he won a World Series title with the Cardinals in 2011.
One of only five players to ever have four hits in three consecutive games, Furcal was also a reserve member of the 2010 NL All-Start team.
5. Joe Morgan
5'7″ / Baseball
Joe Morgan did two awesome things in the 1975 and 1976 seasons: led his Cincinnatti Reds to World Series victories and won NL MVP twice.
This 5'7″ man of modest height is considered one of the better defensive players of all time, which is why he was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1990.
6. Kirby Puckett
5'8″ / Baseball
Kirby spent his entire major league career with the Minnesota Twins. He leads the franchise all-time in hits, doubles, runs and total bases.
He also retired with the second highest career batting average at .318 (right-handed).
7. Phil Rizzuto
5'6″ / Baseball
“The Scooter” was part of the legendary Yankees dynasty that ran for 10 AL titles and 7 World Series victories in his 13 seasons.
Rizzuto is hailed as one of the best bunters in MLB history.
8. Muggsy Bogues
5'3″ / Basketball
Tyrone Curtis Bogues was the shortest player ever to play professional basketball in the NBA.
His height (or lack thereof) didn't stop him from a stellar 14-year career that, incredibly, included 39 blocked shots!
9. Spud Webb
5'7″ / Basketball
Spud is famous for winning the NBA slam dunk contest in 1986.
Think about that for a minute: one of the shortest players in NBA history won the slam dunk contest.
Webb is one of two men under six feet tall to ever win this infamous contest.
10. Mel Hirsch
5'6″ / Basketball
American professional basketball player Mel Hirsch was the shortest player in NBA history until Muggsy Bogues entered the league more than 40 years later.
Hirsch played for the Boston Celtics, way back when the NBA was still the BAA (Basketball Association of America).
11. Earl Boykins
5'5″ / Basketball
Behind Mugsy Bogues, Boykins is the 2nd shortest player to ever grace the NBA court as a pro baller.
He famously nailed two free throws to seal a Wizards' victory in 2009.
12. Greg Grant
5'7″ / Basketball
Grant played for six different teams across his nine year NBA career after being picked 52nd overall in 1989.
He later released an autobiography titled 94 Feet and Rising: The Journey of Greg Grant to the NBA and Beyond.
13. Pernell “Sweet Pea” Whitaker
5'6″ / Boxing
Pernell was more than just an accomplished boxer: he won titles in lightweight, light welterweight, welterweight and light middleweight!
He was also named fighter of the year in 1989 by The Ring Magazine.
14. Manny Pacquiao
5'5 1/2″ / Boxing
A truly legendary short athlete, Pacquiao is one of the greatest boxers of all time.
He's won 11 major world titles and currently serves as the Senator of the Philippines.
15. Floyd Mayweather Jr.
5'8″ / Boxing
Tactics and attitude aside, Money Mayweather is undisputedly one of the best fighters of all time.
He's been ranked by ESPN as the #1 best pound-for-pound boxer of the last 25 years.
16. Chris Spealler
5'5″ / Crossfit
In addition to having garnered an intimidating reputation at the CrossFit Games, “Speal” is an affiliate owner and trainer for CrossFit headquarters.
Spealler continues to train and coach at CrossFit Park City in Utah, where he lives with his family.
17. Josh Bridges
5'5″ / Crossfit
A former college wrestler and Navy Seal, Bridges has been a CrossFit athlete since 2005.
Bridges is known for his intense victory scream, as he's on or near the podium almost every time he competes.
18. Austin Malleolo
5'5″ / Crossfit
Malleolo is a three-time winner of the Northeast Regional (2011-2013). Plus, in both 2010 and 2012, he finished Top 10 at the CrossFit Games.
He is the head coach at Reebok CrossFit ONE and a part of the CrossFit HQ Seminar Staff.
19. Roberto Heras
5'8″ / Cycling
Heras is a Spanish former professional road bicycle racer.
He won the Tour of Spain a record breaking three times and raced alongside Lance Armstrong on the U.S. Postal Service team.
20. Paolo Bettini
5'7″ / Cycling
Bettini is considered one of the better cyclists and classics specialist of past decade.
He's a former Italian world champion road racing cyclist, and he did a stint as the coach of the Italian national cycling team.
21. David Etxebarria
5'5″ / Cycling
Etxebarria won the 12th and 16th stages in the 1999 Tour De France.
He ended up finishing 12th overall, in addition to winning a few minor competitions over the course of his career.
22. Darren Sproles
5'6″ / Football
Sproles is the all-time leading rusher in Kansas State history. He broke the NFL single season record for all-purpose yards in 2011 with 2,696 yards.
He's the first player in NFL history with over 2,200 all-purpose yards in four consecutive seasons and is ranked 8th all-time in career all purpose yards.
23. Jack “Soapy” Shapiro
5'0 1/2″ / Football
Soapy Shapiro played for the Staten Island Stapletons in the 1929 NFL.
He's officially hailed as the shortest man ever to play professional football in the National Football League.
24. Jim Leonhard
5'8″ / Football
Leonard was a solid contributor to multiple NFL teams over his 10 year career.
He's currently the defensive coordinator for the Wisconsin Badgers NCAA team.
25. Trindon Holliday
5'5″ / Football
During the 2010 NFL draft, Holliday came mighty close to breaking Chris Johnson's record for the 40-yard dash.
He holds 11 different records for the Denver Broncos franchise, including kick return yards and punt return yards.
26. Ray Rice
5'8″ / Football
Rice played his entire professional career for the Baltimore Ravens before famously being indicted for assault.
He is ranked as the Ravens' second all-time leading rusher behind Jamal Lewis.
27. Bob Sanders
5'8″ / Football
Sanders played eight seasons in the National Football League.
He became known as “The Hitman” because of his hard-hitting style. Apparently, powerful things come in small packages!
28. Maurice Jones-Drew
5'7″ / Football
Jones-Drew led the NFL in rushing yards in 2011 and is a three time Pro-Bowler.
He now works as an analyst for multiple programs on NFL Network.
29. Brian Gionta
5'7″ / Hockey
Gionta captained the U.S. Olympic team in 2018's bid for the title.
He holds a number of franchise records for the NHL's New Jersey Devils, including number of goals in one season (48).
30. Bruce Lee
5'8″ / Martial Arts
His birth name was Lee Jun-fan, but his millions of fans know him as Bruce Lee.
Perhaps one of the most iconic men of modest height, Lee was an accomplished martial artist, fight choreographer, actor and film director.
31. John Dodson
5'3″ / MMA
Dodson is ranked #7 in the official UFC Bantamweight rankings.
He is the winner of Spike TV's The Ultimate Fighter: Team Bisping vs. Team Miller.
32. John Lineker
5'3″ / MMA
Lineker is the former Jungle Fight Bantamweight Champion.
He is known for his ultra aggressive fighting style. Call it a Napoleon complex if you want, but sometimes modest men just need to let it out.
33. Marcus Brimage
5'4″ / MMA
Brimage is a versatile MMA fighter, clocking in 14 wins over the course of his career.
His interest in mixed martial arts was sparked while watching Dragon Ball Z as a child. I was more of a Ninja Turtles kid, but then again, I'm not in the UFC.
34. Michel Prazeres
5'6″ / MMA
Pazeres is a Brazilian mixed martial artist currently fighting as a lightweight for the UFC.
As a youngster, Prazeres was inspired by Bruce Lee (another famous short martial artist). He won his first six professional fights, and he has an impressive career record of 24 wins and just 2 losses.
35. John Howard
5'7″ / MMA
A professional MMA fighter since 2004, Howarrd is currently (2018) competing in the Middleweight division.
Howard is 25-13 overall in his MMA career so far, and he's competed for a number of international teams.
36. Bruno Santos
5'8″ / MMA
Santos is currently ranked as #1 in contention for the Professional Fighters League belt.
He also won the WFE Middleweight Championship.
37. Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson
5'3″ / MMA
Mighty Mouse Johnson is the current Flyweight Champion of the UFC.
He holds the current record for the longest championship reign and has defended his title 11 times.
38. Sean “The Muscle Shark” Sherk
5'6″ / MMA
Sherk is a retired American mixed martial artist and former UFC Lightweight Champion.
Generally considered one of the best Lightweight competitors of all time, Muscles Sherk holds one of the longest undefeated streaks in MMA history.
He only lost four times!
39. Mark Martin
5'6″ / Racing
Retired American stock car driver, Martin started his racing career as a young man on the dirt tracks of Arkansas.
Martin has been described by ESPN as the best driver to never win a championship, despite the fact that he holds the all-time IROC record with 13 wins.
40. Jeff Gordon
5'8″ / Racing
Gordon is undoubtedly one of the best NASCAR drivers of all time, winning at least one pole in 23 consecutive seasons.
Fox Sports ranks him as the fifth best driver in NASCAR history.
41. Rico Abreu
4'4″ / Racing
One of the shortest professional racers, Abreu has won a number of titles, including the 2015 and 2016 Chili Bowl.
He's run 26 races over three years in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series with a best finish of 13th place.
42. Eddy Hellebuyck
5'4″ / Running
A Belgian-born long distance runner, Hellebuyck competed in the 1996 summer Olympics, finishing 67th.
Hellebuyck become a U.S. citizen in 2000 and competed in the U.S. Olympic Trials, but he sadly did not make the team.
43. Lionel Messi
5'7″ / Soccer
Messi is a legendary soccer player who is considered by many to be the best of all time.
He has a record-tying five Ballon d'Or awards and has won 31 trophies with Barcelona.
44. Diego Maradona
5'5″ / Soccer
Often considered the best professional soccer player of all time, Maradona was joint FIFA player of the 20th century (along with Pelé).
Maradona played in four FIFA World Cups and led Argentina to a 1986 championship (while earning the coveted MVP award).
45. Edson Arantes do Nascimento (a.k.a. Pelé)
5'8″ / Soccer
Also widely regarded as one of the best players to ever grace the field, Pelé won three FIFA World Cups over the course of his career with the Brazil national team.
As it turns out, the top three soccer players of all time have been men of modest height. Represent 👊🏻
46. Apolo Ohno
5'8″ / Skating
Anton-Ohno is an eight time Winter Olympics medalist.
He is widely regarded as one of the best speed skaters of his generation. On top of that, Ohno is a sought after motivational speaker and generous philanthropist.
Conclusion
These famous short athletes aren't just as good as their taller counterparts. They're some of the best competitors in their respective sports.
Height didn't hold them back from reaching great heights, and it shouldn't hold you back either – in sports, business, relationships or life.
So go set that record, get the championship ring, defend your title and lead your team to victory! Oh, and make sure to look good doing it 😉
Who did we miss? Leave a comment below!
Jose Altuve – all-star 2nd baseman for the 2017 World Champion Houston Astros. (Ugh…and as a hardcore LA Dodgers fan, I nearly threw up after typing those last four words!) Anyway, he’s 5 foot 6.
You’re the hero we need, not the hero we deserve 😉
Good list, but leaving out Jose Altuve (5′ 6″), the reigning Al MVP, is odd.
We’ll add him to the list!
For this list, I would nominate Michael “Pinball” Clemons (5’6″) and Henry “Gizmo” Williams (5’6″), both of whom played in the Canadian Football League between 1986 and 2000. Between them, they have 8 championships, 7 all-star selections, and are inductees in the Canadian Football Hall of Fame.
Hi Brock,
Great list and understandably this is a US heavy list of sportsmen you mentioned. There is a great English football/soccer legend called Paul Scholes who clocks in at 168 cm (5’6”) and was a legend when he played for Manchester United for two decades. Many consider him the best English midfielder in the last 20 years.
Many of the best distance runners are shorter people. Here is list of the top 5000 m runners in the world (dated 2011) with their ranking, times, and heights:
1 12:37.4 Kenenisa Bekele – 166 cm
2 12:39.4 Haile Gebrselassie – 165 cm
3 12:39.7 Daniel Komen – 170 cm
4 12:46.5 Eliud Kipchoge – 170 cm
5 12:47.0 Sileshi Sihine – 165 cm
6 12:48.7 Issac Songok – 170 cm
7 12:48.8 Stephen Cherono
8 12:49.3 Brahim Lahlafi – 172 cm
9 12:49.7 Mohammed Mourhit – 164 cm
10 12:49.9 Paul Tergat – 182 cm
11 12:50.2 Hicham El Guerrouj – 176 cm
12 12:50.3 Abderrahim Goumri – 168 cm
It looks like 5’7″ is about the average height.
I agree about Jose Altuve 5’6″ : three time MLB batting champion, golden glove winner, AL MVP last year, and currently leading MLB in hits, batting average and votes for the All Star Game. Thanks to the Dodger fan who first mentioned him.
Being an avid baseball fan and sports fan in general and a child of the 50s I applaud your pointing out short sports heroes especially since many of your followers may not have heard of some of them.
It made think about someone in of contemporary fame. Meaning the comedian Kevin Hart. Have you thought about using his rather unorthodox style for an article?
Best Regards
These Guys…..
Dani Pedrosa 5’2” MotoGP
Marc Márquez 5’6” MotoGP
Philipp Lahm 5’7” Football
Xavi Hernandez 5’7” Football
Andrés Iniesta 5’7” Football
Let’s not forget Freddie Patek who played major league baseball from 1968-1981 and at 5’5″ was the shortest player in the game at the time, and probably the shortest player in the last 60 years.
Barry Sanders
Few people are aware that several categories of elite athletes in Finland averaged shorter than the average military recruit. They included boxers, long-distance runners, cross-country skiers, wrestlers and weight lifters. There are certainly advantages in being tall, but there are more advantages in being shorter and lighter than average. The benefits of shorter height include faster reaction time, greater endurance, greater agility, higher strength to body weight ratio, lower risk of breaking bones, and greater longevity. Much of our misconceptions about shorter height are based on society’s bias, which probably started many years ago when nobility was taller than peasants. A scientific view of the advantages and disadvantages of shorter, lighter body size is presented in: The Truth About Your Height (Amazon).