Baseball players always came in different shapes and sizes. From Antonio Alfonseca, with six fingers on each hand and six toes on each foot, to 5’6″ Jose Altuve, baseball offered players with every physical attribute possible. However, as per the Red Sox’s latest bullpen joinee, Danny Coulombe, he was once degraded during his rookie time for his physical attributes.

“The newest Red Sox pitcher was told as a rookie, You’re supposed to be behind a desk somewhere,” Red Sox insider Christopher Smith quoted Coulombe.

With 5’10” and 190 lbs, Coulombe is rather compact compared to the standard MLB pitcher template. Because of this, he was reportedly mocked by the former Phillies ace Ryan Madson.

Reportedly, Coulombe and Madson were both on the Athletics in 2016. At that time, 6-foot-6, 234-pound Madson was an elite closer for the A’s, while Coulombe was a 26-year-old rookie. However, even though Coulombe had a heater that averaged 90.3 mph, Madson was reportedly miffed by his height. “One day he just looked at me, we were sitting on the bench, and he said, ‘Good for you,'” Coulombe recalled.

“I’m like, ‘What do you mean?’ He’s like, ‘I’m supposed to be in the major leagues. You’re not. You’re supposed to be behind a desk somewhere. An accountant.” Coulombe recalled his faceoff with Madson.

However, Coulombe is not the only one of compact size who took the mound. Yuki Matsui is 5’8″. Last year, Matsui demonstrated a significant ability to limit damage, with opponents batting just .185 (11-for-58) against him when there were runners in scoring position.

Then, Yoshinobu Yamamoto is just 5’10”. His Game 7 heroics in the 2025 World Series brought the Dodgers their second consecutive ring. So, while pitchers with better height have advantages, shorter heights can also be effective.

Even Coulombe proved himself effective in MLB. He has a 3.35 ERA in 343 career appearances across 11 major league seasons with six different teams. Last year, he posted a 2.30 ERA for the Twins and Rangers.

“God creates in all different shapes and sizes, and I found some stuff that works for me, and I’ve been able to spin a baseball, and here I am,” Coulombe boasted about himself during Spring Training in March 2026. And with that being said, the Red Sox have just filled an important role in their bullpen with Coulombe.

Danny Coulombe could be the missing link for the Red Sox

The Red Sox’s starting rotation is as stuffed as it could get. Garrett Crochet, Sonny Gray, Ranger Suarez, and Brayan Bello are also established names. But what about the bullpen?

Go beyond their elite closer Aroldis Chapman, and you’ll see how the team still lacks reliable southpaw relievers. Yes, they got Jovani Moran, but he has only two MLB appearances in the last two years due to Tommy John surgery. Moreover, they ranked 18th in terms of strikeout percentage in 2025 (22.4%), even after having Chapman.

So, an immediate solution was needed, and in came Danny Coulombe. “Good job by the front office trying to add and make us better,” manager Alex Cora said after securing Coulombe.

Surely, his induction made the Red Sox’s relief better. Remember his one-pitch save game against the Rockies back in 2023? Coulombe entered with a 2-2 count and two outs in the 9th inning. And guess what, he struck out the only batter he faced on a single pitch to earn the save. Thus, becoming only the third pitcher in MLB history to do so.

During his 2025 stint with the Twins, he held a 0.46 ERA through his first 19.2 innings. Although he had a rough patch later with the Rangers (5.25 ERA), he could still be effective in a limited role with the Red Sox and behind Chapman.

So, while Coulombe already proved his worth in MLB, a successful stint with a big-market team like the Red Sox could change the narrative around the short-armed player.