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| Photo From Denis Poroy/Getty Images |
Typically, I wouldn't pay much attention to a news story like this. It's very common for teams to sign veteran players to strengthen their roster, especially when they're dealing with injuries, but still aiming for a playoff spot.
What caught my attention was Hill’s age. Rich Hill turned 44 years old this past March, and now that he is on an MLB roster, he is officially the oldest active player in the league.
I started to wonder which other seasoned veterans were able to play in the MLB into their mid-40s and how successful they were.
Below, I have listed the five oldest MLB players of the last decade and how well they did in their final season.
Ichiro Suzuki
Team He Played Final Season With: Seattle Mariners
Age He Played His Final Season: 45
Why He Was Selected To Play At Age 45: Ichiro has one of the most legendary baseball careers in the history of the sport, both in the MLB and Japan. Ichiro made his MLB debut at age 27, and from that point until he retired, he accumulated ten All-Star game appearances, ten Golden Gloves awards, three Silver Slugger awards, was twice named the AL batting champion, and was the league MVP in 2001. Given his legendary status in Seattle, it was almost as if the team felt obligated to allow him to be a starter at age 45, even though it was extremely short-lived.
Performance During Final Season: Ichiro would only play the initial two games of the 2019 season. The Mariners started the season playing against the Oakland A’s in an international series that fittingly took place in Ichiro’s home country of Japan. Suzuki had a combined six plate appearances between the two games he played, where he went 0-5 and drew one walk.
Team Results: Finished last in the AL West with a record of 68-94.
Bartolo Colón:
Team: Texas Rangers
Age He Played His Final Season: 45
Why He Was Selected To Play At Age 45: Colón aged very gracefully as a pitcher. Colón made his MLB debut back in 1997 at the age of 24. Between 1998 and 2016, there were only four seasons where Colón had a record under .500. In 2016, at the age of 43, Colón went 15-8 with a 3.43 ERA and was named to his fourth All-Star game. In 21 seasons, Colón amassed 247 wins and 2,353 strikeouts while holding an ERA of 4.12.
Performance During Final Season: At 45, Colón did not have much in the tank left, and his numbers reflected that. Colón finished the 2018 season with a record of 7-12 with a 5.78 ERA.
Team Results: Finished last in the AL West with a record of 67-95.
Rich Hill:
Team: Boston Red Sox
Age He Played His Final Season: TBD. Currently 44 years old. Birthdate is March 11, 1980.
Why He Was Selected To Play At Age 44: Unlike every other player on this list, Hill does not have a legendary legacy. However, since joining the league in 2005, Hill has excelled in two key areas: durability and consistency. Although his overall record of 90-73 over 19 seasons isn't particularly eye-catching, his career ERA of 4.01 during that time is impressive. It shows that Hill maintained solid performance levels for an exceptionally long period, a rarity in the MLB.
Performance During Final Season: TBD. Rich has only played in one minor league game this season, where he pitched two scoreless innings before being called up to Boston.
Team Results: TBD. At the time I am writing this article, the Red Sox are currently 68-64. They are 3rd in the AL East and are four games back from the final wildcard spot.
Jason Giambi:
Team: Cleveland Guardians (known as the Indians during Giambi’s final season in 2014)
Age He Played His Final Season: 43
Why He Was Selected To Play At Age 43: Giambi had that rare combination of being able to hit for average and power. Over his 19-year career, Giambi recorded 2,010 hits, including 440 home runs, with a batting average of .277. He was a five-time All-Star, a two-time Silver Slugger, and won the AL MVP in 2000.
Performance During Final Season: Giambi appeared in 26 games during his last season in the majors. In 70 plate appearances, he drew ten walks, generated eight hits, and drove in three runs.
Team Results: Finished third in the AL Central at 85-77, just missing the playoffs.
Nelson Cruz:
Team: San Diego Padres
Age He Played His Final Season: 42
Why He Was Selected To Play At Age 42: Like Giambi, Cruz was a terrific hitter who had a great average and could also hit the ball to outer space. During his 18-year career, Cruz amassed 2,053 hits, including 464 home runs, with a batting average of .274. He is a seven-time All-Star, a four-time Silver Slugger, and led the league in home runs in 2014 and RBIs in 2017.
Performance During Final Season: In 2023, Cruz played in 49 games. In 152 plate appearances, he batted .245 with 35 hits, five of those being home runs.
Team Results: Finished 3rd in the NL West at 82-80 and missed the playoffs.
Final Thoughts:
Age He Played His Final Season: 45
Why He Was Selected To Play At Age 45: Ichiro has one of the most legendary baseball careers in the history of the sport, both in the MLB and Japan. Ichiro made his MLB debut at age 27, and from that point until he retired, he accumulated ten All-Star game appearances, ten Golden Gloves awards, three Silver Slugger awards, was twice named the AL batting champion, and was the league MVP in 2001. Given his legendary status in Seattle, it was almost as if the team felt obligated to allow him to be a starter at age 45, even though it was extremely short-lived.
Performance During Final Season: Ichiro would only play the initial two games of the 2019 season. The Mariners started the season playing against the Oakland A’s in an international series that fittingly took place in Ichiro’s home country of Japan. Suzuki had a combined six plate appearances between the two games he played, where he went 0-5 and drew one walk.
Team Results: Finished last in the AL West with a record of 68-94.
Bartolo Colón:
Team: Texas Rangers
Age He Played His Final Season: 45
Why He Was Selected To Play At Age 45: Colón aged very gracefully as a pitcher. Colón made his MLB debut back in 1997 at the age of 24. Between 1998 and 2016, there were only four seasons where Colón had a record under .500. In 2016, at the age of 43, Colón went 15-8 with a 3.43 ERA and was named to his fourth All-Star game. In 21 seasons, Colón amassed 247 wins and 2,353 strikeouts while holding an ERA of 4.12.
Performance During Final Season: At 45, Colón did not have much in the tank left, and his numbers reflected that. Colón finished the 2018 season with a record of 7-12 with a 5.78 ERA.
Team Results: Finished last in the AL West with a record of 67-95.
Rich Hill:
Team: Boston Red Sox
Age He Played His Final Season: TBD. Currently 44 years old. Birthdate is March 11, 1980.
Why He Was Selected To Play At Age 44: Unlike every other player on this list, Hill does not have a legendary legacy. However, since joining the league in 2005, Hill has excelled in two key areas: durability and consistency. Although his overall record of 90-73 over 19 seasons isn't particularly eye-catching, his career ERA of 4.01 during that time is impressive. It shows that Hill maintained solid performance levels for an exceptionally long period, a rarity in the MLB.
Performance During Final Season: TBD. Rich has only played in one minor league game this season, where he pitched two scoreless innings before being called up to Boston.
Team Results: TBD. At the time I am writing this article, the Red Sox are currently 68-64. They are 3rd in the AL East and are four games back from the final wildcard spot.
Jason Giambi:
Team: Cleveland Guardians (known as the Indians during Giambi’s final season in 2014)
Age He Played His Final Season: 43
Why He Was Selected To Play At Age 43: Giambi had that rare combination of being able to hit for average and power. Over his 19-year career, Giambi recorded 2,010 hits, including 440 home runs, with a batting average of .277. He was a five-time All-Star, a two-time Silver Slugger, and won the AL MVP in 2000.
Performance During Final Season: Giambi appeared in 26 games during his last season in the majors. In 70 plate appearances, he drew ten walks, generated eight hits, and drove in three runs.
Team Results: Finished third in the AL Central at 85-77, just missing the playoffs.
Nelson Cruz:
Team: San Diego Padres
Age He Played His Final Season: 42
Why He Was Selected To Play At Age 42: Like Giambi, Cruz was a terrific hitter who had a great average and could also hit the ball to outer space. During his 18-year career, Cruz amassed 2,053 hits, including 464 home runs, with a batting average of .274. He is a seven-time All-Star, a four-time Silver Slugger, and led the league in home runs in 2014 and RBIs in 2017.
Performance During Final Season: In 2023, Cruz played in 49 games. In 152 plate appearances, he batted .245 with 35 hits, five of those being home runs.
Team Results: Finished 3rd in the NL West at 82-80 and missed the playoffs.
Final Thoughts:
All of these players may have struggled in their final season, but the fact that they were still able to compete in an MLB game in their mid-40s is a testament to their remarkable longevity. They managed to challenge Father Time far longer than most athletes.
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