The 25 most iconic MLB batting stances

There’s something so distinct about watching Alou at the dish. It could have been the fact that he wore no batting gloves. It probably had to do, though, with his open stance and the way he bent his knees prior to the pitch coming in. As uncomfortable as it may have looked to us, Alou surprisingly was a career .303 hitter over 17 seasons. A pair of Silver Slugger awards also lends credence to his unique stance.

The smoothest swing in baseball history. The reason Griffey Jr. makes this list isn’t necessarily because of anything unique he did before the pitch. Admittedly, he did exude a level of calmness with his approach that likely is why his swing was so effortless. No one in baseball had the uppercut swing nailed down like The Kid. The Hall of Famer whacked 630 homers over his 22-year career.

Growing up as a kid, this had to be the most replicated batting stance at the Little League fields. The way he lifted his hands and elbows high above his head was mesmerizing over his 16-year career. He was never a staple in the lineup at any point in his career, but he put it together during the biggest moments. He was a two-time World Series winner with an NLCS MVP honor to his name.

This approach at the plate is one that remains a mystery to me. Batista legitimately would be as open as possible when in the box to the point that his chest was facing the pitcher. From the fan perspective, it was pretty cool seeing him rotate his body towards the plate before unloading on a pitch. The two-time All-Star had some pop to his game, as well, with a 41 home run campaign in 2000 and a trio of 30-plus years.

The deep crouch he presented at the plate was as intimidating as they come. For a man his size to extend his legs as far (and low) as he did over his 15 years tells you everything you needed to know about him. He tapped into some raw power through his ability to load up and unload on pitches as they came in. He was a .297 career hitter with one MVP award and three 40-plus home run seasons.

In order to be a .311 career hitter, you have to be doing something right at the plate. Ichiro was as quick as anyone with the way he torqued his body out of his stance. It was because of that that he was lethal at the dish, using all of his body to load back and power forward to spray the ball to all parts of the ballpark. He also would raise his bat and sit his left hand over his right shoulder prior to the pitch, which instantly became a mimicked approach for the next generation.

The bat waggle of Franco became iconic over his 23-year career. Not only was his bat unique in its movement, but it was also directly pointed at the opposing pitcher as he leaned forward. Talk about imposing. The three-time All-Star’s approach propelled him to a .298 career average and a batting title in 1991, where he finished with a ridiculous .341 average.

The reason the longtime Boston Red Sox shortstop makes this list isn’t because of his positioning in the box, but rather because of his antics. While there was a lot of toe tapping going on during his at-bat routine, what stood out the most was his infatuation with readjusting his gloves. For whatever reason, the career .313 hitter constantly would unstrap and strap his batting gloves during his at-bats.

There weren’t many modern hitters who were as tough as an out as Pujols was during his prime. Whenever he was in the box, there was a sense of calm composure that eerily settled in as his hands lay still. He wasn’t as wide as Jeff Bagwell in the box, but he certainly had a crouch that gave off a menacing look as he awaited each pitch. It’s no wonder he batted just under .300 in his career, a tenure that saw him earn three MVPs.

Is there anything more humiliating for a pitcher than having the opposing batter step in, point his bat at you (and sometimes beyond you), and proceed to blast a home run 400 feet past you? Thome did that 612 times over his career with his patented bat point. He had an upright stance that was surely noticeable, but it was that pre-pitch gesture with the bat that became his trademark.

Over the years, Upton Jr. altered his stance, but the bulk of his approaches saw him utilize a crouched position that created a balanced approach at the dish. At times, his stance would look more awkward than others as his shoulders protruded in, but he didn’t let that stop him from having a pretty successful 12-year career.

Power is a word that’s best used to describe the three-time All-Star’s stance. There was a noticeable hunch he had before each pitch that put his upper body nearly over the center of the plate at times. Through this unusual posture, Fielder was able to blast 319 homers en route to a pair of Silver Slugger awards.

Imagine a batter sitting on a stool. That was Rowand’s stance. How he was able to keep his legs like that while squatting before each pitch is beyond me, but it somehow worked. The .273 career hitter stepped in like a sumo wrestler would. As goofy as it looked, it obviously worked for him.

Saying the Cleveland outfielder’s stance is straight-up may be an understatement. Kwan legitimately has as narrow a position as possible in the left-handed batter’s box. When he goes in for a swing, his front leg lifts perfectly straight up. This compact style has helped him produce multiple seasons with a .290 average or higher.

Whenever McGwire stepped into the box, the pitcher was automatically put on notice. The power hitter used all of his 6-foot-5 frame with his open stance that saw his front leg raised. He had a slight downward lean that allowed him to come up through the ball, thus helping him reach 583 homers over his 16-year run.

Personally, this was the stance that I imitated the most while playing on the Wiffelball field. The bat waggle that would occasionally get more vicious the bigger the moment was as iconic as any pre-pitch motion. With high hands and a powerful leg kick, Sheffield was as ferocious of a hitter as they came during the 90s and 2000s.

What makes Machado’s stance so distinct is how unimposing he is. There’s something intimidating for a pitcher when a batter looks so calm, cool, and collected in the box. There’s very little movement in his stance. Don’t let the quiet approach fool you, though. Machado has multiple Silver Slugger awards and a handful of 100-plus RBI campaigns.

Perhaps one of the most under-appreciated hitters of his time, Ordonez presented himself with a slight crouch that was followed by a Griffey-esque smooth swing. What helped distinguish him at the dish was how he stuck his hands slightly higher and further back than most. All of that resulted in a .309 career batting average.

There can’t be a list of the most unique batting stances that didn’t include this former Boston Red Sox slugger. Prior to the pitch, the first baseman would keep his hands separated on the bat, which was also directly pointed over his head at the pitcher on nearly a flat plane. As the ball was set to be released, he would slide his hands together, bat back, and begin his process. It was odd, and it left many wondering what exactly the purpose of all that movement was. In the end, it worked for him.

There’s only one word that encapsulates Vladdy’s stance: aggressive. From the swaying to the eventual bat rotation, the longtime Montreal Expo slugger had one of the more violent swings in baseball. Making his presence even more distinct was his lack of batting gloves. This was simply a man with one thing on his mind, and that was to hit the ball as hard as he could. It’s no surprise that this Hall of Famer belted 449 dingers with a .318 average.

Similar to his first base predecessor in Jim Thome, Howard’s stance saw him hoist his bat up towards the outfield as he eyed down the pitcher. It was easily replicated by the younger generation because of how simple yet satisfying the gesture was. The menacing stance was a perfect match for the imposing 6-foot-4 behemoth of a man who would go on to lead all of baseball in homers in two of his 13 seasons.

The way Crisp would lean back in the left-hander’s batter box and then explode out of that position was remarkable. As he awaited each pitch, he also would rest his chin on his front shoulder as his elbows sharply protruded inward. It was a compact and concise stance that helped steer him to a .265 career batting average.

Ohtani is already a larger-than-life figure, but he somehow looks even bigger when he steps up to the plate. There’s no crouching or leaning for the designated hitter as he extends his arms and bat up towards the sky. He’s able to create so much torque as a result of this approach, which certainly has paid off dividends at the pro level. He became a three-time MVP over a four-year span between 2021 and 2024.

You know you’re doing something unique when fans start to reference the “Soto Shuffle.” This signature pose sees him crouch before executing a toe dig shuffle into the box. He doesn’t do it every single time, but he does it enough that it’s become a part of his identity. I imagine opposing teams don’t appreciate the elongated entrance, but not many pitchers have been able to shut down the four-time All-Star and former batting title champ.

Somehow, Stan the Man became one of the game’s best hitters with very little movement in his lower half. His iconic stance was memorialized at Busch Stadium. He kept things very simple during his two-decade tenure with a career that saw him lead the league in batting seven different times.