MLB players have lower mortality rates than the general population

As researchers try to understand the long-term impact of playing professional sports, a new study finds that major league baseball players tended to fare better than the general population. Other studies have found, for instance, that MLB players also tend to have better health outcomes than professional football players, possibly because NFL players also tend to weigh more. Looking at data from nearly 10,500 players from 1906 through 2006, scientists found that compared to the general U.S. male population, MLB players had significantly lower rates of death. A longer career meant lower rates of death from overall causes, but was associated with higher rates of cancer deaths. Playing baseball professionally requires athletes to be in good physical health, but more research is needed to better understand the study's findings.