A lot of different projected lineups are made within different categories, such as an all-decade team or the top players from a single organization all-time. One that is also made is a 25-years-old or younger team. What about a 35-years-old or older team? This article will put together a batting order of active MLB players age 35 or older. A notable basis is recent performance as opposed to the players’ overall careers.
1.) Howie Kendrick (2B, 36-Years-Old)
Howie Kendrick played 121 games in the 2019 regular season. The last time he surpassed triple-digits in games played is 2016 when he played in 146 games with the Dodgers. In those 121 games last season, Kendrick had a slash line of .344/.395/.572. He hit 17 homers, which is his most in a single-season since 2011 when he hit a career-high 18 home runs.
Kendrick also won a World Series with the Nationals last season. In the 2019 Postseaosn, Kendrick hit two long balls, including a grand slam in the tenth inning of game five in the NLDS against the Dodgers, helping the team get the win to go onto the NLCS. In the NLCS, Kendrick slashed .333/.412/.600 in a four-game sweep over the Cardinals. Howie Kendrick was named the MVP of the 2019 NLCS.
2.) Yuli Gurriel (1B, 35-Years-Old)
Although he only debuted in 2016, Yuli Gurriel is already 35-years-old. He had quite possibly the best year of his career in 2019, as he had a career high 31 home runs. He also hit 40 doubles and had 104 RBIs. Like Kendrick, Gurriel also made the World Series with the Astros last season, losing in seven games. Gurriel hit well in that World Series, slashing .310/.355/.483.
3.) Justin Turner (3B, 35-Years-Old)
In the other corner of the infield is Dodgers’ third-basemen Justin Turner. Last season was Turner’s third in-a-row with a slugging percentage of at least .500. Since the start of the 2017 season, Turner has hit 62 home runs, 87 doubles and 190 RBIs. Of those 62 homers, 27 came in 2019, which ties his single-season high of 27 long balls set back in 2016. Turner doesn’t have elite fielding. However, his fielding percentage of .973 last year was only slightly below average.
4.) Nelson Cruz (DH, 39-Years-Old)
Nelson Cruz‘s 41 home runs in 2019 got him to 401 for his MLB career. He won a Silver Slugger award, and finished ninth in the AL MVP voting last season. He also hit 26 doubles and had 108 RBI. Cruz also had a solid slash line of .311/.392/.639 with a 1.031 OPS. He got back to the playoffs for the first time since 2014. The Twins got swept in the ALDS as Cruz had a home run and four base on balls in that series.
5.) Shin-Soo Choo (RF, 37-Years-Old)
Shin-Soo Choo made his first All-Star game in 2018. He went 1-for-2 with a run scored at 36-years-old in that game. As for the regular season, Choo slashed .265/.371/.455. He hit 24 homers, which is a career-high. Choo also hit 31 doubles, which is his most since 2015. Choo had a .973 fielding percentage along with 73 putouts in right field last season.
6.) Brett Gardner (CF, 36-Years-Old)
Career-long Yankee Brett Gardner hit a career-high 28 homers last season. He also hit 26 doubles and seven triples. His slash line of .251/.325/.503 shows his career-high slugging percentage at .503. With a lot of injuries on the Yankees roster last year, Gardner got plenty of playing time. He played in 141 games, including 98 appearances in center field. In those games, Gardner had a .995 fielding percentage and two assists.
7.) Yadier Molina (C, 37-Years-Old)
Last season was Yadier Molina‘s 16th in the league, all of them with the Cardinals. Molina made the All-Star game in both 2017 and 2018. He totaled 38 homers, 47 doubles and 156 RBIs. In 2018, he won a Gold Glove award, having a .999 fielding percentage behind the plate. If there is a 2020 MLB season, Yadier Molina will be heading into his 17th season as a Cardinal.
8.) Alex Gordon (LF, 36-Years-Old)
Alex Gordon is the third player in-a-row on the list to have only played for one team thus far into his MLB career. Gordon debuted for the Royals in 2007, and is still on the roster at 36-years-old. He has won a Gold Glove award for three years in-a-row. He also has a strong arm, shown by his seven outfield assists from 2019. As for hitting, Gordon had a slash line of .266/.345/.396 in 2019. He hit 13 homers, 31 doubles and scored 77 times that year.
9.) Jed Lowrie (SS, 36-Years-Old)
Although Jed Lowrie only played in nine games in 2019, he had a solid season in 2018. He made the All-Star game for the first time in his career, slashing .267/.353/.448. He had similar numbers the season before, showing some consistency. That year, Lowrie slashed .277/.360/.448.
Feature Image Courtesy of NJ.com.
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