MLB pitcher Sean Hjelle was born to his parents, Mark and Sue Hjelle, in Fridley, Minnesota, on May 7, 1997, as the youngest of three siblings.
Mark and Sue Hjelle raised four kids, with Sean being the youngest of them all. In fact, it would be an understatement to say they played a significant role in Sean’s life.
They raised Sean in a sound environment that encouraged his athletic pursuits.
Sue Hjelle played a practical role in supporting Sean’s unique needs due to his extraordinary height of 6 feet 11 inches.
In a 2014 Star Tribune interview, Sean mentioned that his mother did a lot of online shopping to find clothes that fit him, particularly pants, which were hard to source in stores.
Nonetheless, precise details surrounding his parents aren’t available. Both Mark and Sue maintain a low life away from the prying eyes of the media.
That said, their consistent presence in his life suggests they provided a stable and encouraging foundation, allowing him to excel in baseball and basketball during his high school years at Mahtomedi High School in Minnesota.
Mara Hjelle, Sean Hjelle’s older sister, previously played basketball. She starred at Mahtomedi High School and continued her career at Wayne State College from 2007 to 2011, earning First Team All-Northern Sun Conference honors as a junior and senior.
After college, she played professionally in Finland with Hyvinkaan Ponteva Koris in 2011-12, leading the league in scoring (18.3 points) and rebounding (16.7 rebounds) while helping her team win a championship.
Likewise, she also played in Germany. This speaks volumes about Hjelle’s parents’ support in their athletic pursuits.
Sean Hjelle Played Baseball and Basketball at Mahtomedi High School!
The professional baseball pitcher for the San Francisco Giants in Major League Baseball, Sean Hjelle, stands at 6 feet 11 inches, tying with Jon Rauch as one of the tallest players in MLB history.
Hjelle played high school baseball and basketball at Mahtomedi High School before joining the University of Kentucky. In 2017, he was named the Southeastern Conference Pitcher of the Year, going 9-2 with a 3.17 ERA.
Giants pitcher Sean Hjelle accused of abuse by wife: 'I finally found about his affairs' https://t.co/fQZtoQePtl pic.twitter.com/7IeiYl4qo3
— Toronto Sun (@TheTorontoSun) June 23, 2025
The Giants drafted Hjelle in the second round of the 2018 MLB Draft. He started his professional career in the minor leagues, playing for teams like the Salem-Keizer Volcanoes and Sacramento River Cats.
In 2021, he pitched in Triple-A, and the Giants added him to their 40-man roster. Hjelle made his MLB debut on May 6, 2022, and earned his first win that September.
In 2024, he had a solid season as a reliever, posting a 3.90 ERA over 58 games. In 2025, he started in Triple-A but was called up to the Giants, recording a 4.66 ERA in six appearances.
In Case You Didn’t Know
- Sean Hjelle’s estranged wife, Caroline Hjelle, accused him of abuse, infidelity, and abandoning their two young sons shortly after Mother’s Day in a now-deleted TikTok video.
- Hjelle and Caroline married in November 2021 and shared two sons, George and Emmett. Later, they filed for divorce in May 2024.
