You recognize you’re getting older, changing into an actual grown-up, whenever you understand you’re the identical age as Main League Baseball gamers. Then it dawns on you that gamers your age are thought of “grizzled veterans.” After which, finally, there’s nobody your age who remains to be energetic in MLB. Then you’re formally previous.
Marking your age by the way it compares to MLB gamers is a dangerous proposition; I’m nonetheless reeling from the truth that Placido Polanco — a former huge leaguer who was born on Oct. 10, 1975, the identical day as me — has been retired since 2013. However life strikes on, inexorably, regardless.
The excellent news for wretches like us is that there nonetheless are some previous guys hanging round. Now that the season is upon us, we take our annual have a look at the ten oldest gamers in MLB.
To qualify for this listing, gamers merely should be with a Main League crew this spring, and that features a spot on the injured listing or as a non-roster invitee. (And we previous folks know the way it’s to all the time really feel injured.) Not included on this listing are some guys nonetheless looking for a crew, together with the unsigned-but-not-yet-retired Wealthy Hill (born March 11, 1980) and Zack Greinke (Oct. 21, 1983). Hopefully somebody will signal a type of guys, and shortly.
Word: Every participant is listed together with his age on Opening Day.
Depend the three-time Cy Younger Award-winning Verlander among the many many human beings cheering for somebody to signal the 44-year-old Hill. If nobody does, with the retirements of Nelson Cruz and Adam Wainwright, it’s Verlander who will stand because the oldest energetic MLB participant. It’s, to say the least, relatively spectacular that Verlander, regardless of that label, is only one season faraway from his most up-to-date Cy. Verlander gained’t be prepared for Opening Day, however he’s dealing with hitters and might be again on the mound earlier than you already know it. The way in which he pitches, he could keep atop this listing for a few years to return.
2. Joey Votto, 1B, Blue Jays (age 40)Born: Sept. 10, 1983 | 1st season: 2007
Thank goodness, the celebration isn’t over simply but. Votto’s return to his residence nation of Canada to attempt to earn a Main League function with the Blue Jays — primarily, to relive how his baseball story began — is primed to be some of the inspiring, feel-good tales of the season. It’s additionally value remembering that Votto was getting down-ballot MVP votes as just lately as 2021, and he nonetheless thinks there’s life in that bat. We see little motive to not imagine him. It doesn’t matter what, we will’t wait to look at.
3. Charlie Morton, RHP, Braves (age 40)Born: Nov. 12, 1983 | 1st season: 2008
A yr after he took a slight step again together with his first below-average full season since he was with the Pirates, Morton returned to kind in 2023, placing up a 3.62 ERA throughout 163 1/3 innings for a Braves crew that was scoring runs at a document tempo. In different phrases, Morton was doing precisely what his crew requested him to do. He’ll make $20 million this yr to attempt to do it once more for the Braves, and who’s to say he gained’t?
4. Max Scherzer, RHP, Rangers (age 39)Born: July 27, 1984 | 1st season: 2008
It’s fairly cool whenever you’re 39 years previous, and your complete league feels turned the wrong way up whenever you get traded on the Deadline … and it’s significantly cool when that commerce results in you successful your second World Sequence ring. Scherzer misplaced a bit of oomph final yr, however he did famously pitch three scoreless innings within the World Sequence, and the Rangers are clearly thrilled to have him return this June after having again surgical procedure. Frankly, Scherzer appears ageless to us: He might be 92 years previous, and we’d nonetheless be terrified watching him stare down the mound at us.
5. Justin Turner, DH, Blue Jays (age 39)Born: Nov. 23, 1984 | 1st season: 2009
OK, tremendous: Turner will not be, in truth, Shohei Ohtani. Despite the fact that he ostensibly was introduced in to be the Blue Jays’ designated hitter — a task all of Toronto as soon as dreamed of Ohtani filling — it’s (clearly) not affordable to anticipate him to place up Ohtani numbers. However boy, you positive may do rather a lot worse at DH than Turner, who did for Boston final yr what he had executed for the Dodgers over practically a decade: Hit the ball constantly, in a manner that continues to be extraordinarily serviceable. He launched 23 homers for the Sox, and he set a profession excessive in RBIs with 96. The glove may not maintain up the way in which it as soon as did, however the bat endlessly performs.
6. David Robertson, RHP, Rangers (age 38)Born: April 9, 1985 | 1st season: 2008
Our favourite factoid about Robertson is that he has been within the unenviable place of changing a beloved New York crew’s nearer twice: Mariano Rivera in 2014 and Edwin Díaz in ‘23. Robertson did splendidly at each, two highlights in a formidable profession. He has 175 profession saves, which is ranked 72nd all-time, to go together with a 2.90 lifetime ERA. He struggled a bit after being traded to the Marlins on the Deadline final yr, however the Rangers signed him to assist fill out a bullpen that would all the time use one other arm. It’s a superb signal when the defending champs can’t wait to deliver you in — we should always all be so lucky on the age of 38.
7. Daniel Bard, RHP, Rockies (age 38)Born: June 25, 1985 | 1st season: 2009
There are inspiring tales, after which there’s Bard’s. Even in the event you already know the story, it’s value excited about once more. Drafted within the first spherical by the Pink Sox in 2006, he grew to become a dominant reliever in Boston, as soon as placing collectively 25 consecutive scoreless appearances, earlier than shedding his management in confounding vogue. He ended up retiring in ‘17 (after not having pitched within the Majors since ‘13) and labored as a mentor to gamers earlier than rediscovering his management and returning in his mid-30s as a better for the Rockies through the COVID-shortened ‘20 season. He has saved 61 video games for the Rockies prior to now 4 seasons, and when he returns from the knee surgical procedure he had in February, he’ll probably be proper on the market closing video games once more. Bard is endlessly a reminder that every single day is a present.
8. Adam Ottavino, RHP, Mets (age 38)Born: Nov. 22, 1985 | 1st season: 2010
He by no means bought the possibility to strike out Babe Ruth, however Ottavino has greater than held his personal throughout his two excursions of responsibility in New York, first with the Yankees (when he made his notorious Ruth feedback to my colleague Mike Petriello) and now with the Mets. He was a spin-rate darling earlier than folks even knew what spin-rate darlings are, and he retains doing it yr after yr; he has mainly been a terrific reliever each single yr of his profession, save the truncated 2020 season. He solely has three extra years left to pitch to outlast the Bambino, who retired at 40.
9. Matt Carpenter, DH, Cardinals (age 38)Born: Nov. 26, 1985 | 1st season: 2011
The Cardinals have been the kings of this listing during the last decade with Albert Pujols, Wainwright and Yadier Molina. So it ought to maybe not be shocking they introduced again Carpenter, a person who performed in three All-Star Video games and as soon as completed as excessive as fourth in MVP voting for the crew. He made his debut with that 2011 crew that gained the World Sequence, although he didn’t have a lot to do with it: He went 1-for-15 that season. (He nonetheless bought a hoop.) He returns to the Cardinals as a veteran presence meant to information a crew that didn’t have a lot clubhouse management, although it’ll assist if he can hit. He’s not alone on this function: He’s solely 14 months older than new teammate Brandon Crawford.
10. Carlos Santana, 1B/DH, Twins (age 37)Born: April 8, 1986 | 1st season: 2010
Santana has all the time been a bit of underappreciated all through his 14-year profession. He is had two 34-homer seasons — he reached the 300-homer milestone final yr — and has led the league in walks twice. His batting eye has all the time been his superpower, with a profession .356 OBP, together with a .397 determine with Cleveland in 2019, his finest season. The Pirates traded him to Milwaukee on the Deadline final yr, and now he is again within the AL Central, the place he spent 10 seasons with Cleveland and components of two extra with the Royals.
