Bobby Shantz
The diminutive lefty who stood just 5'6" somehow became one of baseball's most complete pitchers, capturing an MVP award in 1952 while leading the Athletics to their last competitive season in Philadelphia. Shantz's craftiness more than compensated for his lack of size, posting a career ERA+ of 121 across 16 seasons.
What truly set Shantz apart was his fielding prowess. Those eight Gold Gloves weren't ceremonial — he revolutionized how pitchers could contribute defensively, turning himself into a fifth infielder. His 1962 Cardinals season at age 37 showcased his enduring artistry, posting a microscopic 1.95 ERA with an ERA+ of 203.
Shantz proved that baseball intelligence and athletic instincts could trump pure stuff. He remains the shortest pitcher ever to win an MVP award, a testament to maximizing every ounce of talent.
Career · Hitting
16 seasons| Year | Team | G | AB | HR | RBI | AVG | OPS | OPS+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1949 | PHA | 33 | 37 | 0 | 2 | .189 | — | — |
| 1950 | PHA | 37 | 66 | 1 | 4 | .167 | — | — |
| 1951 | PHA | 36 | 72 | 0 | 9 | .250 | — | — |
| 1952 | PHA | 34 | 96 | 0 | 12 | .198 | — | — |
| 1953 | PHA | 21 | 38 | 0 | 4 | .237 | — | — |
| 1954 | PHA | 7 | 3 | 0 | 0 | .333 | .667 | — |
| 1955 | KC1 | 26 | 41 | 0 | 0 | .146 | .313 | — |
| 1956 | KC1 | 51 | 22 | 0 | 1 | .091 | .303 | — |
| 1957 | NYY | 33 | 56 | 0 | 6 | .179 | .513 | — |
| 1958 | NYY | 33 | 35 | 0 | 1 | .229 | .604 | — |
| 1959 | NYY | 40 | 23 | 0 | 1 | .217 | .612 | — |
| 1960 | NYY | 43 | 10 | 0 | 0 | .100 | .282 | — |
| 1961 | PIT | 44 | 16 | 0 | 3 | .438 | 1.026 | — |
| 1962 | STL | 35 | 21 | 0 | 2 | .095 | .186 | — |
| 1963 | STL | 55 | 7 | 0 | 1 | .143 | .476 | — |
| 1964 | PHI | 50 | 5 | 0 | 0 | .000 | .286 | — |
| Career | 578 | 548 | 1 | 46 | .195 | — | — | |
Career · Pitching
16 seasons| Year | Team | G | IP | W | L | ERA | ERA+ | SO | WHIP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1949 | PHA | 33 | 127.0 | 6 | 8 | 3.40 | 121 | 58 | 1.370 |
| 1950 | PHA | 36 | 214.7 | 8 | 14 | 4.61 | 95 | 93 | 1.565 |
| 1951 | PHA | 32 | 205.3 | 18 | 10 | 3.94 | 103 | 77 | 1.378 |
| 1952 | PHA | 33 | 279.7 | 24 | 7 | 2.48 | 149 | 152 | 1.048 |
| 1953 | PHA | 16 | 105.7 | 5 | 9 | 4.09 | 101 | 58 | 1.259 |
| 1954 | PHA | 2 | 8.0 | 1 | 0 | 7.88 | 49 | 3 | 1.875 |
| 1955 | KC1 | 23 | 125.0 | 5 | 10 | 4.54 | 88 | 58 | 1.520 |
| 1956 | KC1 | 45 | 101.3 | 2 | 7 | 4.35 | 91 | 67 | 1.303 |
| 1957 | NYY | 30 | 173.0 | 11 | 5 | 2.45 | 156 | 72 | 1.139 |
| 1958 | NYY | 33 | 126.0 | 7 | 6 | 3.36 | 115 | 80 | 1.286 |
| 1959 | NYY | 33 | 94.7 | 7 | 3 | 2.38 | 164 | 66 | 1.025 |
| 1960 | NYY | 42 | 67.7 | 5 | 4 | 2.79 | 137 | 54 | 1.197 |
| 1961 | PIT | 43 | 89.3 | 6 | 3 | 3.32 | 121 | 61 | 1.310 |
| 1962 | STL | 31 | 78.3 | 6 | 4 | 1.95 | 203 | 61 | 1.085 |
| 1963 | STL | 55 | 79.3 | 6 | 4 | 2.61 | 133 | 70 | 0.908 |
| 1964 | PHI | 50 | 60.7 | 2 | 5 | 3.12 | 115 | 42 | 1.170 |
| Career | 537 | 1935.7 | 119 | 99 | — | — | 1072 | — | |
Matchups, projections, comps — grounded in Lahman, Retrosheet, and Statcast.