MLB has become a young man's game, but many older guys can still play. Here are the 15 best players in MLB over the age of 35 heading into the 2019 season.
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The 36-year-old Choo made his first All-Star appearance last year, but he has been a productive hitter for a long time. He has a career .378 on-base percentage and has hit at least 20 home runs six times.
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At age 38, Cruz is still going strong as one of the game's top power hitters. He hit 37 home runs last season and has a 203 home runs since 2014.
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Encarnacion remains one of the game's top middle-of-the-order hitters at age 36. He has a streak of seven straight seasons with at least 32 home runs and had 100-plus RBI in six of those years.
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The Cardinals 2011 World Series hero, Freese is now more of a role player. He's still productive, hitting .296-11-51 in 312 plate appearances between the Pirates and Dodgers last season at age 35.
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J.A. Happ, SP, Yankees
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Happ signed a two-year, $34 million contract with the Yankees this offseason despite turning 36 in October. The lefty was an All-Star last season, going 17-6 with a 3.65 ERA in 31 starts between Toronto and the Yankees.
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Rich Hill, SP, Dodgers
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Hill had a late-career resurgence and was excellent for the Dodgers last year at age 38 with a 3.66 ERA in 132.2 innings. The lefty started this season on the injured list with a knee issue.
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Kinsler, 36, has had an outstanding major league career, making four All-Star appearances. He's still going strong as a utilityman for the Padres after hitting .240-14-48 with 16 stolen bases for the Angels and Boston last year.
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Still the heart and soul of the Cardinals roster at age 36, Molina has made nine All-Star teams and won an equal number of Gold Gloves. He accomplished both feats last year and finished the season hitting .261-20-74.
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Seunghwan Oh, RP, Rockies
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Oh joined the majors from Japan at age 33, and has been a good reliever in the States over the last three seasons. Last year he posted a 2.63 ERA in 73 appearances between Toronto and Colorado at age 35.
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Steve Pearce, 1B/OF, Red Sox
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Pearce was a key piece of the puzzle for the world champion Red Sox last year, posting a .901 OPS after joining the team from Toronto. He turns 36 on April 13 and will play a key role again this year as Mitch Moreland's platoon partner at first base.
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Rodney is 42 but still going strong in the Oakland bullpen. He has 325 career saves and posted a 3.36 ERA in 68 appearances between Minnesota and Oakland last year.
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Romo got work in the Rays pen as a closer last year and could get that same opportunity this year for the Marlins at age 36. He had 25 saves with a 4.14 ERA in 73 appearances last year.
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Sabathia is entering the final year of what's likely a Hall of Fame career at age 38. The former Cy Young winner went 9-7 with a 3.65 ERA in 29 starts for the Yankees last year.
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Verlander finished second in the AL Cy Young race last year after going 16-9 with a 2.52 ERA and league-high 290 strikeouts in 214 innings. He was recently rewarded with a two-year extension at age 36.
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A World Series winner in back-to-back years with the Royals and Cubs in 2015-2016, Zobrist is a three-time All-Star and still productive offensively. He hit .305 BA/.378 OBP/.440 SLG last year as a semi-regular for Chicago at age 37.
Seth Trachtman is a sportswriter, digital marketer, and fantasy sports expert based in St. Louis, Missouri. He’s a two-time winner of the Tout Wars Fantasy Baseball Expert’s League, and his work has appeared in hundreds of fantasy baseball and fantasy football newsstand and online publications. He’s a University of Missouri alum and long-suffering turned spoiled Kansas City Chiefs fan. Seth doesn't often Tweet, but when he does, you can find him on Twitter/X @sethroto.