A recent study unveiled at the American Society of Echocardiography’s 2026 Scientific Sessions offers a comprehensive look at cardiac structure in elite baseball players, using echocardiography to map the range of normal adaptations seen in top‑level athletes.
A Large Cohort of Elite Players
The investigation examined 588 professional athletes who had participated in the MLB Combine across the 2022, 2023 and 2024 editions, providing a snapshot of the most accomplished prospects in the sport.
Ventricular Dilation Is Common
Researchers observed left ventricular dilation in 37 % of participants and right ventricular dilation in 28 %, patterns that align with the concept of exercise‑induced cardiac remodeling.
Structural Abnormalities Remain Rare
Only three athletes displayed left ventricular hypertrophy, and the maximum wall thickness recorded was 12 mm. Aortic root diameters averaged 30 mm, with just three individuals exceeding 39 mm, the largest measuring 44 mm. The most frequent structural finding was a bicuspid aortic valve, present in just 1 % of the cohort.
Clinical Implications and Study Limits
The authors stress that these data create a reference range for expected cardiac changes in baseball players, enabling clinicians to separate benign remodeling from pathological conditions. The prevalence of abnormalities mirrored that of the general population, and the study did not include longitudinal follow‑up or a control group of non‑athletes. No disclosures were reported in the abstract.