How the oldest and youngest players in MLB helped their team reach the postseason

The way the Blue Jays have stormed into the postseason, riding one of MLB's hottest second halves, it's almost as if they have a roster perfectly built for winning games. Sure, they have an MVP candidate at third base and picked up one of the best aces in baseball at the Trade Deadline, but there seems to be something more to them: They have the perfect combination of wizened experience and youthful exuberance.

The 42-year-old LaTroy Hawkins and the 20-year-old Roberto Osuna are, respectively, the oldest and youngest players in MLB this season.

Put another way: Hawkins made his MLB debut the same year that Osuna was born. It was not the greatest of debuts -- Hawkins started the game for the Twins on April 29, 1995, and promptly allowed seven earned runs on seven hits (including a home run to Harold Baines) while lasting just 1 2/3 innings. But it was the start of the productive 21-year career in which he earned a save against all 30 MLB teams. 

Osuna, meanwhile, made his debut this season, nearly 20 years to the day after Hawkins'. He was immediately thrown into the fire -- Osuna's first big league test came with the bases loaded, but he promptly retired two batters to escape unscathed. 

Osuna has pitched nearly twice as much as Hawkins this season, racking up 72 strikeouts and 19 saves in 68 IP. Hawkins, meanwhile, has 32 strikeouts and three saves in 37 1/3 innings. It's almost as if Osuna is half as old as Hawkins, with twice the energy. 

The pair have appeared in seven games together since Hawkins came over at the deadline -- the first on July 30, when Osuna earned his sixth save of the year. On Aug. 25, the pair pitched the final two innings of the Blue Jays' 6-5 win over the Rangers, when Hawkins picked up the win and Osuna the save. On Sept. 26, Hawkins pitched the sixth inning and Osuna recorded the save to top the Rays, 10-8. In fact, the Blue Jays have won every game that Hawkins and Osuna have appeared in together -- just something to consider for the postseason.  

This isn't the first time MLB's oldest and youngest in a season have been teammates, but it has been a while. In 2006, the oldest and youngest players in the National League were Julio Franco and Lastings Milledge, both for the Mets. The oldest and youngest in the AL were Jamie Moyer and Felix Hernandez, both Mariners pitchers. But you have to go back to 1999, when 42-year-old Jesse Orosco pitched for the Orioles alongside 19-year-old Matt Riley, to find the last time MLB's oldest and youngest players were teammates. 

Barring a dramatic change of heart, this season is Hawkins' last. He probably didn't know that he'd spend the final half of it imparting his learned wisdom to his youngest counterpart in the Majors, but sometimes, things just work out like that.