If Babe Ruth stepped into a time machine (1 Viewer)

[timschochet]

In another thread @Capella made an interesting point about how Babe Ruth would struggle in today’s MLB. So I’m curious what people think about this: statistically, Babe Ruth was the greatest power hitter ever, it’s not really close. But he faced no players of color, and the game was very different, obviously, with less different kinds of pitches (and probably not as fast fastballs though we have no way of knowing.)

So if Babe Ruth at his peak stepped into a time machine and arrived in 2023, how would he perform? Would he be able to hit against major league pitching? Would he be so bad as to not even make it in MLB? Or be an average player? Or still a star after he had time to adjust? How do you think he’d do?

 

[Grace Under Pressure]

Babe Ruth Career Statistics

 

[Grace Under Pressure]

His 162 game WAR was 10.5. His OPS was 1.164 with an OPS+ of 206, which are all-time career records. His batting average was .342 and he hit 714 home runs.

I fully recognize he didn't play against the best competition. But to the extent that any player from that era could compete in today's game, I'd say Babe Ruth probably has a shot.

 

[timschochet]

Babe Ruth Career Statistics

They don’t get much better do they? Ty Cobb had a better batting average, but played mostly in the deadball era. Ted Williams comes close, and maybe was a better hitter but not overall.

In modern times only a juiced up Barry Bonds can match Ruth- and really only that one season.

 

[fruity pebbles]

They estimate Walter Johnson throwing mid 90s. It would be a transition but I think he could manage it.

 

[Doug B]

... with less different kinds of pitches (and probably not as fast fastballs though we have no way of knowing.)

Back then, pitchers generally aimed to finish their starts. Accordingly, Jazz Age pitchers probably couldn't throw full bore for nine innings. There had to either be some kind of in-game "load management" of the starting pitcher, or else starting pitchers were consistently gassed past 5 or 6 innings (allowing easier pickings for opposing batters).

So, Babe Ruth time-travelling to 2023 has to face pitchers that are always fresh and can and will throw as hard as possible for as long as possible. Back in the day, Ruth probably saw the starting pitcher 4 or 5 times every game. Today, he'd maybe see the starter going balls-to-the-wall twice, then have fresh relievers throwing high heat the rest of the game. It would be an adjustment for sure.

I think that generally, the best players of Ruth's era could credibly play today, but their stats would be in line with modern baseball. Now Ruth wasn't at all conditioned like a modern athlete, so he might suffer in the field and with stamina in general. I could see him DHing as a David Ortiz-type in the modern game.

Interestingly, in the modern game, Ruth might have more likely remained a pitcher -- probably a reliever, though, so that he could throw hard for six outs or so and then rest.

 

[AAABatteries]

Hard to say (obviously) but baseball is so much about hand-eye coordination, vision and fast twitch muscles that I assume he would still be a really good hitter. How good is impossible to answer, IMO.

 

[Capella]

They estimate Walter Johnson throwing mid 90s. It would be a transition but I think he could manage it.

Walter Johnson wasn’t throwing splitters or sliders that dropped off the table as it crossed the plate.

I have no idea how Babe would do in today’s game. He wouldn’t be able to pound hot dogs and drink brown liquor all day. The fact is a lot of players in today’s game are from places he probably didn’t even know existed. He was playing against a bunch of guys from Ohio with off-season jobs.

If you just plopped 1925 Babe Ruth into the game today there is zero chance he could succeed. If he had years of training and buildup, sure, it’s possible.

 

[higgins]

If you don’t grow up w/ modern-caliber curves, sliders, off-speed, etc., you don’t just get here & dominate. Heck, Pedro Cerrano grew up playing in the modern era, and he needed Jobu’s blessing to hit a curve!

 

[Dan Lambskin]

He’d be a poor man’s Matt Stairs at best

 

[Capella]

If you don’t grow up w/ modern-caliber curves, sliders, off-speed, etc., you don’t just get here & dominate.

Right. These guys starting their careers today have 10+ years of facing high-caliber competition as they aged up. Babe would need something like that.

 

[Leeroy Jenkins]

They estimate Walter Johnson throwing mid 90s. It would be a transition but I think he could manage it.

Walter Johnson wasn’t throwing splitters or sliders that dropped off the table as it crossed the plate.

I have no idea how Babe would do in today’s game. He wouldn’t be able to pound hot dogs and drink brown liquor all day. The fact is a lot of players in today’s game are from places he probably didn’t even know existed. He was playing against a bunch of guys from Ohio with off-season jobs.

If you just plopped 1925 Babe Ruth into the game today there is zero chance he could succeed. If he had years of training and buildup, sure, it’s possible.

So today's player gets all the advantages from what has been learned over decades, but Babe is limited to 1925?

His swing is just so sweet, I think he would have been fine.

 

[Capella]

So today's player gets all the advantages from what has been learned over decades, but Babe is limited to 1925?

My last sentence seems to address this.

 

[Doug B]

If you just plopped 1925 Babe Ruth into the game today there is zero chance he could succeed. If he had years of training and buildup, sure, it’s possible.

You're touching on another interesting question: If Ruth had been born a century later -- in 1995 instead of 1895 -- what kind of player could he have turned into by 2023? Assume Internet-Era Babe Ruth gets the typical playing history, training, nutrition, etc. that most modern major-leaguers have.

 

[Gally]

Taking a point in time Babe (say 1925) and dropping him into the game and he would struggle. Taking Babe as a kid and dropping him into 2023 and letting him develop with today's knowledge I absolutely believe he would be one of the best players in today's game assuming he bought into his development/fitness like today's player's do.

 

[Raging weasel]

Taking a point in time Babe (say 1925) and dropping him into the game and he would struggle. Taking Babe as a kid and dropping him into 2023 and letting him develop with today's knowledge I absolutely believe he would be one of the best players in today's game assuming he bought into his development/fitness like today's player's do.

This was going to be my reply.

 

[massraider]

You're touching on another interesting question: If Ruth had been born a century later -- in 1995 instead of 1895 -- what kind of player could he have turned into by 2023?

A few nightclub brawls, in and out of rehab, then finally the redemption tour after his career is cut short by cocaine abuse.

My best guess.

 

[Doug B]

You're touching on another interesting question: If Ruth had been born a century later -- in 1995 instead of 1895 -- what kind of player could he have turned into by 2023?

A few nightclub brawls, in and out of rehab, then finally the redemption tour after his career is cut short by cocaine abuse.

My best guess.

Sorta Josh-Hamilton-esque, then.

 

[The Z Machine]

How do we know it WASN'T the hot dogs and brown liquor that enabled him to dominate? Without them he might struggle in today's game.

 

[Moe.]

Taking a point in time Babe (say 1925) and dropping him into the game and he would struggle. Taking Babe as a kid and dropping him into 2023 and letting him develop with today's knowledge I absolutely believe he would be one of the best players in today's game assuming he bought into his development/fitness like today's player's do.

I don’t see how anyone could even argue this point. This is pretty much the answer whenever this debate comes up regardless of sport. The Time Machine approach is much more fun to discuss

 

[Gally]

I don’t see how anyone could even argue this point. This is pretty much the answer whenever this debate comes up regardless of sport. The Time Machine approach is much more fun to discuss

So I win? Awesome!!!

 

[Spartans Rule]

You're touching on another interesting question: If Ruth had been born a century later -- in 1995 instead of 1895 -- what kind of player could he have turned into by 2023? Assume Internet-Era Babe Ruth gets the typical playing history, training, nutrition, etc. that most modern major-leaguers have.

I think this actually happened and it's Kyle Schwarber.

 

[Moe.]

@Gally I meant your second sentence specifically, should have bolded it. I think reasonable people could disagree on the first sentence, which is why that’s the fun debate

 

[Moe.]

You're touching on another interesting question: If Ruth had been born a century later -- in 1995 instead of 1895 -- what kind of player could he have turned into by 2023? Assume Internet-Era Babe Ruth gets the typical playing history, training, nutrition, etc. that most modern major-leaguers have.

I think this actually happened and it's Kyle Schwarber.

He is definitely the first to come to mind

 

[Anarchy99]

I think it's pretty reasonable to think that an all-time great from a way different era would still be a good player today, just not as dominant. Babe Ruth wouldn't lead the league in HR by 20-30 home runs. Wilt Chamberlain wouldn't score 100 points and average 50 ppg. Bill Russell wouldn't win 11 titles. Wayne Gretzky wouldn't have multiple seasons with 200+ points. Jim Brown wouldn't lead the league in rushing 8 times.

Best guess, I would suggest that the numbers these players put up against inferior competition or lesser athletes might be on par with what players today accomplished in college before they went pro. Most of the time, guys with gawdy college numbers at a Power 5 school (or top program / conference) go on to have solid careers. But I don't see Babe Ruth having 10 seasons hitting .340 or having 11 seasons with 40+ HRs. Maybe multiple years in the 30s, a couple in the 40s, and a chance of a season with 50.

The other thing to consider for many of the old-time players is many / most of them had other jobs. They played their sport of choice in season and did something else the rest of the year. Not the superstars, but the guys the superstars were facing. The #4 starter on a time or the 5th guy out of the bullpen was probably selling paint the rest of the year or working as a mechanic doing brake jobs in the winter. Way different environment know where guys have trainers, special diets, played year-round since they were kids, etc.

 

[Joe Bryant]

In another thread @Capella made an interesting point about how Babe Ruth would struggle in today’s MLB. So I’m curious what people think about this: statistically, Babe Ruth was the greatest power hitter ever, it’s not really close. But he faced no players of color, and the game was very different, obviously, with less different kinds of pitches (and probably not as fast fastballs though we have no way of knowing.)

So if Babe Ruth at his peak stepped into a time machine and arrived in 2023, how would he perform? Would he be able to hit against major league pitching? Would he be so bad as to not even make it in MLB? Or be an average player? Or still a star after he had time to adjust? How do you think he’d do?

I love questions like this.

My first gut instinct is he might not be good enough to break into the major leagues. I think the level of competition is just that much better.

But I don't really know.

These always feel like the "Could Alabama's football team beat the Houston Texans?"

(The Texans would DESTROY Alabama).

 

[timschochet]

Let me reverse the question: let’s say Aaron Judge steps into the machine and heads to 1923 New York to play alongside Ruth. Would Judge also need time to adjust? Or would he simply be the best player ever seen, batting .450 and hitting 80 home runs?

 

[Anarchy99]

I love questions like this.

My first gut instinct is he might not be good enough to break into the major leagues. I think the level of competition is just that much better.

But I don't really know.

These always feel like the "Could Alabama's football team beat the Houston Texans?"

(The Texans would DESTROY Alabama).

It's impossible to answer these things without any context. Let's take the last one first. If Alabama had been practicing all along and scheduled a game against the Texans with some banged up players, a rookie QB without any time to practice, and not in the middle of the football season . . . I think Alabama could win. But I agree a well-practiced, healthy, in-season Texans team should mop the floor with the Crimson Tide.

Similarly, if we time traveled and brought Babe Ruth to 2023, the rolly polly Bambino would look foolish coming to bat without any accommodation or preparation beforehand. He'd strikeout on three pitches. I think the purpose of the exercise is to transport the player and give him the same upbringing and amenities that the current athletes all had to get to the big leagues. In Ruth's case, the better way to figure out how he would do is to suggest he played travel ball, AAU, and American Legion. Give him a strength and conditioning coach and a nutritionist. Have him in a batting cage two hours a day. Give him everything that all the other players have.

It works the same in reverse. Stick an MLB bench player in 1925 with all the advantages he had training and developing in 2023, and he would be an absolute rock star and stud back then. A star now would be a star to the third power back then. As just posted above, Aaron Judge would be Babe Ruth on steroids. There were fewer pitches, lower velocity, no one cared about spin rate, etc. It would be Judge going up most of the time against batting practice pitchers.

 

[Capella]

Taking a point in time Babe (say 1925) and dropping him into the game and he would struggle. Taking Babe as a kid and dropping him into 2023 and letting him develop with today's knowledge I absolutely believe he would be one of the best players in today's game assuming he bought into his development/fitness like today's player's do.

I can buy this.

 

[jobarules]

If you took him straight from 1925 and plopped him into today's game he wouldn't even make a major league roster.

 

[whoknew]

Taking a point in time Babe (say 1925) and dropping him into the game and he would struggle. Taking Babe as a kid and dropping him into 2023 and letting him develop with today's knowledge I absolutely believe he would be one of the best players in today's game assuming he bought into his development/fitness like today's player's do.

This seems like the right answer.

 

[timschochet]

I love questions like this.

My first gut instinct is he might not be good enough to break into the major leagues. I think the level of competition is just that much better.

But I don't really know.

These always feel like the "Could Alabama's football team beat the Houston Texans?"

(The Texans would DESTROY Alabama).

It's impossible to answer these things without any context. Let's take the last one first. If Alabama had been practicing all along and scheduled a game against the Texans with some banged up players, a rookie QB without any time to practice, and not in the middle of the football season . . . I think Alabama could win. But I agree a well-practiced, healthy, in-season Texans team should mop the floor with the Crimson Tide.

Similarly, if we time traveled and brought Babe Ruth to 2023, the rolly polly Bambino would look foolish coming to bat without any accommodation or preparation beforehand. He'd strikeout on three pitches. I think the purpose of the exercise is to transport the player and give him the same upbringing and amenities that the current athletes all had to get to the big leagues. In Ruth's case, the better way to figure out how he would do is to suggest he played travel ball, AAU, and American Legion. Give him a strength and conditioning coach and a nutritionist. Have him in a batting cage two hours a day. Give him everything that all the other players have.

It works the same in reverse. Stick an MLB bench player in 1925 with all the advantages he had training and developing in 2023, and he would be an absolute rock star and stud back then. A star now would be a star to the third power back then. As just posted above, Aaron Judge would be Babe Ruth on steroids. There were fewer pitches, lower velocity, no one cared about spin rate, etc. It would be Judge going up most of the time against batting practice pitchers.

To your last point, does that also mean that if you stuck an NBA star like Giannis, (for instance), in 1950s basketball he averages 80 points a game? He’s simply unstoppable, seemingly from another planet?

 

[Anarchy99]

To your last point, does that also mean that if you stuck an NBA star like Giannis, (for instance), in 1950s basketball he averages 80 points a game? He’s simply unstoppable, seemingly from another planet?

Eighty might be high, but he could be similar to Wilt and have years where he averaged 40+ points a game. That's another case of "it depends." If they stuck to calling hard fouls and not ticky tack fouls, Giannis might not get as many free throws. He also might be double and triple teamed as his teammates wouldn't be as good as they are now. Put Shaq in the 60s and there would be no one to stop him. They could feed him the ball and players were not big enough to handle him. Giannis is more skilled than Shaq was, but there weren't any 7'1", 350-pound defenders back then. Giannis weighs 100 pounds less than Shaq.

 

[Capella]

I love questions like this.

My first gut instinct is he might not be good enough to break into the major leagues. I think the level of competition is just that much better.

But I don't really know.

These always feel like the "Could Alabama's football team beat the Houston Texans?"

(The Texans would DESTROY Alabama).

It's impossible to answer these things without any context. Let's take the last one first. If Alabama had been practicing all along and scheduled a game against the Texans with some banged up players, a rookie QB without any time to practice, and not in the middle of the football season . . . I think Alabama could win. But I agree a well-practiced, healthy, in-season Texans team should mop the floor with the Crimson Tide.

Similarly, if we time traveled and brought Babe Ruth to 2023, the rolly polly Bambino would look foolish coming to bat without any accommodation or preparation beforehand. He'd strikeout on three pitches. I think the purpose of the exercise is to transport the player and give him the same upbringing and amenities that the current athletes all had to get to the big leagues. In Ruth's case, the better way to figure out how he would do is to suggest he played travel ball, AAU, and American Legion. Give him a strength and conditioning coach and a nutritionist. Have him in a batting cage two hours a day. Give him everything that all the other players have.

It works the same in reverse. Stick an MLB bench player in 1925 with all the advantages he had training and developing in 2023, and he would be an absolute rock star and stud back then. A star now would be a star to the third power back then. As just posted above, Aaron Judge would be Babe Ruth on steroids. There were fewer pitches, lower velocity, no one cared about spin rate, etc. It would be Judge going up most of the time against batting practice pitchers.

To your last point, does that also mean that if you stuck an NBA star like Giannis, (for instance), in 1950s basketball he averages 80 points a game? He’s simply unstoppable, seemingly from another planet?

No, he would average a 100. Probably more, but I imagine he’d sit the last quarter.

 

[jobarules]

I love questions like this.

My first gut instinct is he might not be good enough to break into the major leagues. I think the level of competition is just that much better.

But I don't really know.

These always feel like the "Could Alabama's football team beat the Houston Texans?"

(The Texans would DESTROY Alabama).

It's impossible to answer these things without any context. Let's take the last one first. If Alabama had been practicing all along and scheduled a game against the Texans with some banged up players, a rookie QB without any time to practice, and not in the middle of the football season . . . I think Alabama could win. But I agree a well-practiced, healthy, in-season Texans team should mop the floor with the Crimson Tide.

Similarly, if we time traveled and brought Babe Ruth to 2023, the rolly polly Bambino would look foolish coming to bat without any accommodation or preparation beforehand. He'd strikeout on three pitches. I think the purpose of the exercise is to transport the player and give him the same upbringing and amenities that the current athletes all had to get to the big leagues. In Ruth's case, the better way to figure out how he would do is to suggest he played travel ball, AAU, and American Legion. Give him a strength and conditioning coach and a nutritionist. Have him in a batting cage two hours a day. Give him everything that all the other players have.

It works the same in reverse. Stick an MLB bench player in 1925 with all the advantages he had training and developing in 2023, and he would be an absolute rock star and stud back then. A star now would be a star to the third power back then. As just posted above, Aaron Judge would be Babe Ruth on steroids. There were fewer pitches, lower velocity, no one cared about spin rate, etc. It would be Judge going up most of the time against batting practice pitchers.

To your last point, does that also mean that if you stuck an NBA star like Giannis, (for instance), in 1950s basketball he averages 80 points a game? He’s simply unstoppable, seemingly from another planet?

In basketball they can double and triple team a guy but his team would absolutely dominate regardless of how many points he averages.

 

[Chaz McNulty]

If you just plopped 1925 Babe Ruth into the game today there is zero chance he could succeed. If he had years of training and buildup, sure, it’s possible.

You're touching on another interesting question: If Ruth had been born a century later -- in 1995 instead of 1895 -- what kind of player could he have turned into by 2023? Assume Internet-Era Babe Ruth gets the typical playing history, training, nutrition, etc. that most modern major-leaguers have.

He would be the best player ever in this scenario.

 

[Anarchy99]

In basketball they can double and triple team a guy but his team would absolutely dominate regardless of how many points he averages.

The Jazz just double and triple teamed Jayson Tatum the other night when the Celtics were shorthanded and had 3 starters out. Utah ended up winning, so there has to be some chance a team could win with that type of make-someone-else-beat-you strategy. Tatum was only 4 of 12 shooting with a plus/minus of -13.

 

[Chaz McNulty]

If you took him straight from 1925 and plopped him into today's game he wouldn't even make a major league roster.

I disagree. I believe he is one of the few people from the past that could transition well (even without all the training that modern day athletes have).

Hitting a baseball is so different to any other athletic feats. And reaction time is the one athletic attribute that can barely be improved upon (electrical impulses from your brain to your hands, etc.). Babe Ruth was blessed in this, probably more than any other athlete. But I don't think he would be able to steal home 10 times in today's game.

 

[Manster]

He'd have to adjust to today's pitching ....probly take him a month or two.

 

[ghostguy123]

If Babe was born today he may never even play baseball and just play video games.
Now, if he was somehow born into a family that encouraged physical activity and baseball, I think he'd be an excellent player. Would be pitch as well? Unlikely.
Would he bat 340 with 714 home runs? Probably not.

 

[jobarules]

If you took him straight from 1925 and plopped him into today's game he wouldn't even make a major league roster.

I disagree. I believe he is one of the few people from the past that could transition well (even without all the training that modern day athletes have).

Hitting a baseball is so different to any other athletic feats. And reaction time is the one athletic attribute that can barely be improved upon (electrical impulses from your brain to your hands, etc.). Babe Ruth was blessed in this, probably more than any other athlete. But I don't think he would be able to steal home 10 times in today's game.

Every single guy that pitches today throws high 90s. Batters dont see the same pitcher more than 2 at bats. Pitchers are trained in throwing higher spin rate. Its a completely different ball game now. Hitting a baseball back then is nothing like hitting a baseball today. He'd have no chance.

 

[ProstheticRGK]

I don't know how he'd do at baseball. But, I bet he could take Manny Pacquiao in a fight.

 

[Jayrod]

Of all the players in the bygone eras, easily the biggest freak to me was Wilt Chamberlain.

After reading up and watching some limited film, I believe his 1960 self could be dropped directly into today's NBA and be an All-Star. I don't think he could just step in and be MVP level, but he could get you 24/12 with 2 blocks a night. Let him take some nights off and get him eating well and and with modern training he's right there with Giannis and Embiid in a couple of years. Heck, they could maybe get him to shoot 60% from the line.

 

[Chaz McNulty]

If you took him straight from 1925 and plopped him into today's game he wouldn't even make a major league roster.

I disagree. I believe he is one of the few people from the past that could transition well (even without all the training that modern day athletes have).

Hitting a baseball is so different to any other athletic feats. And reaction time is the one athletic attribute that can barely be improved upon (electrical impulses from your brain to your hands, etc.). Babe Ruth was blessed in this, probably more than any other athlete. But I don't think he would be able to steal home 10 times in today's game.

Every single guy that pitches today throws high 90s. Batters dont see the same pitcher more than 2 at bats. Pitchers are trained in throwing higher spin rate. Its a completely different ball game now. Hitting a baseball back then is nothing like hitting a baseball today. He'd have no chance.

This guy put hardly any effort forth, and was an absolute rock star. He was like an adult playing against teenagers. The HR record he beat was only 27. He put up 60 HR's a few years later. He wasn't just a little better than everyone else in his era. He was a monster.

It might take him a few months, but I am pretty sure he would have no problem hitting .300 in todays game.

In the scenario where he was born into todays world and had all the advantages of training that today's athletes have, he would still be an all time great. The only thing that could prevent Ruth from achieving this would be lifestyle. He couldn't show up drunk or hung-over in todays game.

 

[Dr. Octopus]

In another thread @Capella made an interesting point about how Babe Ruth would struggle in today’s MLB. So I’m curious what people think about this: statistically, Babe Ruth was the greatest power hitter ever, it’s not really close. But he faced no players of color, and the game was very different, obviously, with less different kinds of pitches (and probably not as fast fastballs though we have no way of knowing.)

So if Babe Ruth at his peak stepped into a time machine and arrived in 2023, how would he perform? Would he be able to hit against major league pitching? Would he be so bad as to not even make it in MLB? Or be an average player? Or still a star after he had time to adjust? How do you think he’d do?

It's baseball a sport based on mechanics and timing - I'm not sure era has as much of an effect as say it does in basketball or football where players keep getting bigger and stronger.

 

[Dr. Octopus]

How do we know it WASN'T the hot dogs and brown liquor that enabled him to dominate? Without them he might struggle in today's game.

I think those things still exist.

 

[Willie Neslon]

I say he would still be dominant. He's the greatest home run hitter of all time when you take into account the number of total home runs in all of baseball in the years he played. He was hitting more homers per year than half the teams in the league had total. Arguably the greatest hand-eye coordination of any player in any sport that ever played. He played his first 5-6 seasons in the dead ball era but even those live balls they used in the 20's pale in comparison to what's used now. Throw into account the bats, batting gloves, other equipment, training tools and methods, nutrition, etc and it's not difficult to imagine how good he would be. Flying on chartered planes vs. cooped up in some slow moving train for a day would help too. I think you could also argue that today's homer/strike out game would suit him even more than the in the era he played. He'd be on social media every day letting make-a-wish kids know he'd be hitting a dinger that night on their behalf and coming through more often than not.

 

[Chemical X]

some other factors here are night vs day games, ballpark configurations and travel. flannel uniforms must've sucked too.

 

[jobarules]

In another thread @Capella made an interesting point about how Babe Ruth would struggle in today’s MLB. So I’m curious what people think about this: statistically, Babe Ruth was the greatest power hitter ever, it’s not really close. But he faced no players of color, and the game was very different, obviously, with less different kinds of pitches (and probably not as fast fastballs though we have no way of knowing.)

So if Babe Ruth at his peak stepped into a time machine and arrived in 2023, how would he perform? Would he be able to hit against major league pitching? Would he be so bad as to not even make it in MLB? Or be an average player? Or still a star after he had time to adjust? How do you think he’d do?

It's baseball a sport based on mechanics and timing - I'm not sure era has as much of an effect as say it does in basketball or football where players keep getting bigger and stronger.

Have you seen the players in MLB today compared to even the 80s?

 

[Dr. Octopus]

Have you seen the players in MLB today compared to even the 80s?

Yes - one of the best player in the game is like 5'2".