Sometimes, fans and analysts tend to focus their attention on the young, exciting players in MLB.
It’s hard to blame them, to be honest: Ronald Acuna Jr., Juan Soto, Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Fernando Tatis, Michael Harris II, Alek Manoah, Shane McClanahan, Wander Franco, and other similarly talented players bring excitement to the game and help captivate younger generations.
However, let’s not forget about those who were young once upon a time, but have managed to stay fit, healthy, and productive enough to remain in the league even as they approach (and surpass, in some cases) their forties.
Here are the oldest players in MLB projected to make the Opening Day roster on their respective teams.
These guys still get it done! pic.twitter.com/svdSbl9Stp
— MLB (@MLB) March 3, 2023
Rich Hill was brought in by the Pittsburgh Pirates on a one-year deal, as the organization tries to remain respectable and give their young pitchers a veteran, successful figure to look up to.
Last season with the Boston Red Sox, he started 26 games and covered 124.1 innings.
With a solid 20.7% strikeout rate and a 7.0% walk rate, he posted a 4.27 and a 3.92 FIP (Fielding Independent Pitching).
In other words, he was a league average starter, which is a huge achievement for a 42-year-old pitcher.
Of that list of the oldest players, Nelson Cruz and Justin Verlander are planning to play for a few more years, remarkably.
Verlander is better than ever, posting a 1.75 ERA and winning the Cy Young award in the American League last year.
Adam Wainwright and Miguel Cabrera, on the other hand, are retiring after the season.
All five have given a lot to the game and should be respected for staying in the league for as much time as they did.
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