When you think about athletes, you may picture a tall and smart person who exercises a lot and keep his body fit. However, when it comes to baseball, players may not be in the best shape physically. Obesity is among the common health problems that have affected a huge number of people in the United States. It can be caused due to numerous factors, mainly a lack of physical activity and an unhealthy diet. One may think, how much does their physical fitness affect their performance? It’s natural to question why baseball players are fat, even athletes.
Why are Baseball Players Fat
Before you continue on your way to feed your curiosity, you should know that not all baseball players are fat in general. In fact, many of them are in ideal shape thanks to their year-round training to prepare themselves for upcoming challenges in grueling and long games. One factor that may make the players look fatter than they are includes photos, video and television images, and the public’s perception as well. Their tucked shirts and tight pants make it look like they have gained a few pounds. Nevertheless, there are some factors that can cause baseball athletes to become overweight, some of which are mentioned below:
Reasons Why Baseball Players are Fat:
Nature of the Game:
When on defense in baseball, each player has a certain position. A total of nine players play on the field, and each of them is not needed to endure much to perform well while playing. In addition, the sport is filled with long breaks, and the ball does not come to every single player in a single at-bat. Hence, there is no need for much endurance. If compared with other sports like ice hockey or soccer that are filled with intense sprints throughout the game, you’ll realize why the game’s nature can impact the athlete’s body. In addition, since the nature of this sport is different from others, its training and the players’ diet are also not like other games.
Diet:
Diet is one of the most common factors that lead to obesity. You may have heard a common saying that weight loss is more about diet and less about training. For instance, if your goal is to create a deficit of 500 calories, it will be easier to do it by managing your diet than by working out to burn them.
However, baseball players don’t aim to burn at a fast speed since some of the muscles will often be eaten by it in the process. As a result, the players will suffer from strength loss and end up swinging and throwing slower than expected.
Training:
The purpose of training for baseball players is to gain strength along with other technical aspects of the game. Their training takes a lot of time, too, at the neglect and expense of aesthetics and endurance. That’s understandable since, even at a professional level, many of them are not needed to play baseball.
They are required to swing well, catch, throw with extreme power and accuracy, and have a certain game IQ in order to become great at baseball. Though it may be surprising to some, baseball training does not include any training that can cause weight loss, such as cardio or endurance training.
Appearance:
Although there are numerous baseball players that suffer from obesity, they may not be as overweight as you think. That’s because when they appear on television in photos, they may look fatter than they actually are. It’s not something that happens to baseball athletes; many of us have dealt with this issue at least once in our lives. Think about the time your photographs were taken through an angle that made you look fatter than you are or the video clip in which you seemed to have gained weight even though, in reality, you haven’t. That may have happened to baseball players as well. So, it’s okay to give them the benefit of the doubt because video cameras can add a few pounds to the players’ weight.
Read: Best Position For Left-Handed Baseball Players
Uniform:
Have you paid close attention to the uniform of these players? They wear tight knee-length or longer pants and jerseys or shirts, which are often tucked in. Such tight clothing will make even a slight weight gain look like a lot. For instance, let’s say a baseball player has gained a few pounds, which is not much, but their uniform may make it look like they’ve put on a lot of weight. In reality, that’s just your mind playing tricks and nothing else.
Why are Baseball Players Fat – FAQs:
Why do baseball players have big thighs?
The thighs of a baseball player can have an impact on their performance. That’s because the area of musculature on the legs’ back can be trained to maximize the ability to jump high and sprint fast. Hence, the big thighs are trained to help players perform well for their team.
What body fat percentage are MLB players?
The body fat percentage of a typical male baseball player is somewhere from 9% to 13% year-round. As for the female players, their body fat level should be around 15% to 20%. These ranges are said to optimize health as well as performance, leading you to reach your long-term career longevity along with maximum ability.
How much does the average baseball player weigh?
In 2015, the average weight of MLB regular position players was 211.4 pounds. However, fast forward to 2020, and the average weight dropped down to 208.5 pounds.
Who is the heaviest MLB player currently?
The current heaviest MLB player is CC Sabathia. He weighs 290 pounds at 6’7″. He is also close to the top of the heaviest players’ list.
Read: Why Do Baseball Players eat Sunflower Seeds
Conclusion:
Athletes are commonly known for having intense workout routines to remain in the best shape, but baseball players can be considered an exception. We hope that you enjoyed reading about why baseball players are fat. At the end of the day, what matters is how well they perform in the field, despite how they look. Some of the great baseball players are also fat, but that doesn’t mean they don’t know how to win the game.
