For the first time since 2004, it appears that Rich Hill will not appear in a Major League Baseball game. He got in two games for the Royals last year, at the age of 45, giving a whole bunch of people one last chance at the “is there anyone in MLB older than me?” game. Hill was by far the oldest player in the Majors. There aren’t many Rich Hills left.
Thus, in honor of the inexorable nature of time itself, we take a look at the best baseball player at each age in the sport. Now, for the sake of simplicity, we are going with their “baseball age,” which is the age they were on June 30 of this year, as opposed to their actual age at this exact second. This allows us to not sweat individual birthdays so much, giving us a universal figure to work from, and it also, if I’m being honest, makes it a lot easier to search on Baseball Reference.
We’re accounting for this year’s success in this tally, of course, but we’re really trying to pick the best overall player. What you’ve done up to this point in your career, particularly recently, factors in as well. You can watch the whole arc of a baseball career in this list.
All stats below are entering Monday's games.
20: Konnor Griffin, SS, Pirates
The Pirates haven’t quite been the same since Griffin went out last month with a torn tendon in his left ring finger, but after he made his MLB debut in April (at the age of 19), Griffin was well on his way to building an NL Rookie of the Year candidacy, hitting five homers, getting on base at a .332 clip and playing an excellent shortstop. He’s already signed through 2034.
Runner-up: Colt Emerson, SS (SEA)
21: Samuel Basallo, C, Orioles
Clearly the Orioles believe in him: He’s signed through 2033 himself and was the primary reason the team felt comfortably trading previous franchise catcher, Adley Rutschman, to the Red Sox. He has 17 homers in 91 games this year. He’s going to regularly hit 30 homers per year and probably more.
Runners-up: Kevin McGonigle, SS (DET); Bryce Eldridge, 1B (SF); Max Clark, OF (DET)
22: Junior Caminero, 3B, Rays
He already has two All-Star appearances, a top-10 MVP appearance (and surely another one coming this year), 87 career homers and status as a clear centerpiece for one of the best teams in baseball. What were you doing at 22?
Runners-up: Jackson Chourio, OF (MIL); Sal Stewart, 1B (CIN); Cole Young, 2B (SEA)
23: James Wood, OF, Nationals
Wood has been the linchpin of what has quietly been one of the best offenses in baseball, keeping his power while improving his batting eye to the point that he leads the NL in on-base percentage. You can stop calling him a future star: He’s one now.
Runners-up: Nick Kurtz, 1B (ATH); JJ Wetherholt, 2B (STL); Chase Burns, RHP (CIN)
24: Pete Crow-Armstrong, OF, Cubs
PCA was already one of the most thrilling players in baseball, with a combination of power and speed that, when combined with his otherworldly defense, made him lethal. But now that he has vastly improved his batting eye and no longer swinging at everything? He may well be the guy who ends Shohei Ohtani’s MVP streak.
Runners-up: Jacob Misiorowski, RHP (MIL); Paul Skenes, RHP (PIT); Elly De La Cruz, SS (CIN)
25: Cam Schlittler, RHP, Yankees
We sure know now that he’s anything but some sort of postseason flash in the pan: If he can hold off Dylan Cease, he’s going to become the seventh Yankee to win a Cy Young Award.
Runners-up: Corbin Carroll, OF (AZ); CJ Abrams, INF (WSH); Julio Rodríguez, OF (SEA)
26: Bobby Witt Jr., SS, Royals
He’s having a “down” year by his standards, which is to say, he’s still clearly the best shortstop in baseball and leading everyone his age in WAR. The power is down a little, but that’s the only thing that is, and it’s probably only temporary.
Runners-up: Brice Turang, 2B (MIL); Miguel Vargas, 3B (CWS); Munetaka Murakami, 1B (CWS)
27: Juan Soto, OF, Mets
He has been around so long that it really kind of blows my mind that he’s still only 27. He still has plenty of time to win that first MVP Award – if not more.
Runners-up: Yoshinobu Yamamoto, RHP (LAD); Mason Miller, RHP (SD); Ben Rice, 1B (NYY)
28: Ronald Acuña Jr., OF, Braves
The lack of a clear replacement at this age allows Acuña to hold onto this spot, but it sure would be nice to see him play a full, healthy season at some point.
Runners-up: Shea Langeliers, C (ATH); Jesús Luzardo, LHP (PHI); Jhoan Duran, RHP (PHI)
29: Yordan Alvarez, DH, Astros
Well, he has a wide-open shot to win the second Triple Crown in 60 years, so he’s got that going for him. That’ll get you above -- just barely -- a two-time defending Cy Young Award winner.
Runners-up: Cristopher Sánchez, LHP (PHI); Tarik Skubal, LHP (LAD); Logan Webb, RHP (SF)
30: Dylan Cease, RHP, Blue Jays
He’s about to finish in the top four in Cy Young voting for the third time in five seasons, and he might just win it this time.
Runners-up: Drew Rasmussen (TB); Sandy Alcantara, RHP (MIA); Cody Bellinger, OF (NYY)
31: Shohei Ohtani, DH/RHP, Dodgers.
Sorry for all the runners-up here, but there really isn’t an opening for you here, probably for the rest of everybody’s careers.
Runners-up: Pete Alonso, 1B (BAL); Seiya Suzuki, OF (CHC); Randy Arozarena, OF (SEA)
32: Matt Olson, 1B, Braves
In five seasons with Atlanta, he hasn’t missed a game – literally. His consecutive games streak, which goes back to 2021 with the A’s, is now eighth longest in MLB history, after Olson passed Stan Musial earlier this month. He’s playing at a high level, too, closing in on his second 40-homer season.
Runners-up: Alex Bregman, 3B (CHC); Byron Buxton, OF (MIN); Francisco Lindor, SS (NYM)
33: Kyle Schwarber, DH, Phillies
The power, and now the health and consistency, has become so overwhelming that he has emerged from a scrum of potential Hall of Famers at this age.
Runners-up: Bryce Harper, OF/1B (PHI); José Ramírez, 3B (CLE); Mookie Betts, OF (LAD)
34: Aaron Judge, OF, Yankees
The injuries that Yankees fans have always been worried about finally bit him this year, but he is still Aaron Judge. But as you see here: He’s older than most realize he is.
Runners-up: Mike Trout, OF (LAA); Willson Contreras, 1B (BOS); Yandy Diaz, 1B (TB)
35: Gerrit Cole, RHP, Yankees
He’s not the dominant Cy Young winner he was a few years ago, but this is still someone the Yankees will absolutely be counting on in the postseason, and for good reason.
Runners-up: Max Muncy, 3B (LAD); Kevin Gausman (CHC); Nolan Arenado, 3B (AZ)
36: Freddie Freeman, 1B, Dodgers
The way Freddie is playing, honestly, does anyone think he can’t just keep doing this for the next half decade?
Runners-up: Zack Wheeler, RHP (PHI); Sonny Gray, RHP (BOS); Jose Altuve, 2B (HOU)
37: Chris Sale, LHP, Braves
He’s probably not going to win his second Cy Young this year. But he might. And he’s almost certainly going to finish in the top six in Cy Young voting for ninth time.
Runners-up: Miguel Rojas, IF (LAD); Chris Bassitt, RHP (BAL)
38: Jacob deGrom, RHP, Rangers
As always, it all depends on his health. But there aren’t many pitchers you’d trust on the mound more in a big game.
Runners-up: Paul Goldschmidt, 1B (NYY); Aroldis Chapman, LHP (BOS)
39: Kirby Yates, RHP, Pirates
How much has baseball changed in the last 20 years? Roger Clemens won a Cy Young at 41. Now there are only two 39-year-olds on MLB rosters at all, and they’re both middle relievers. And there are only two guys older than those two …
Runner-up: Caleb Thielbar, LHP (CHC)
40: N/A
41: Max Scherzer, RHP, Blue Jays
Basically, to still be around in your 40s, you have to be an expected Hall of Famer …
42: N/A
43: Justin Verlander, RHP, Tigers
… or, well, a surefire Hall of Famer.