Major League Baseball (MLB) is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada. As such, it requires a large number of players to make up each team’s active roster. But just how big is an MLB active roster?
MLB Active Roster Size
The MLB has set the maximum size of an active roster at 25 players. This means that each team is allowed to have no more than 25 players on their active roster at any given time. Of those 25 players, only 13 of them are allowed to be pitchers, meaning that teams must select 12 position players to make up the remainder of the active roster.
In addition to the 25-man active roster, teams are also allowed to carry up to five additional players on the “inactive list”. These players are not eligible to play in games, but are allowed to be with the team in order to practice and prepare for future games.
MLB Player Types
When selecting the members of the active roster, teams must consider which type of players they need to have in order to be successful. The two most common types of players are position players and pitchers.
Position Players
Position players are players who play a position in the field such as first base, second base, shortstop, third base, catcher, left field, center field, right field, or designated hitter. These players are responsible for hitting, fielding, and baserunning.
Pitchers
Pitchers are players who are responsible for pitching. They are the ones who throw the ball to the opposing team’s batters in order to get them out. Pitchers can be either starters or relievers. Starters are players who usually pitch the first few innings of a game before handing the ball off to the bullpen. Relievers are players who come in to pitch after the starter has been removed from the game.
In addition to these two types of players, teams may also choose to carry additional players on their active roster. These players are often referred to as utility players or specialists. Utility players are players who can play multiple positions in the field. Specialists are players who have a specific skill or strength that can be used in certain situations.
Conclusion
The MLB active roster size is set at 25 players with a maximum of 13 pitchers. Teams must select their players carefully in order to be successful, as they must consider both position players and pitchers, as well as any additional players they may choose to carry. Ultimately, the size of an MLB active roster is determined by the team’s needs and how they choose to use their available resources.