MLB's Best Teams This Year Are Surprisingly Old and That Feels Wrong
By Parker White
Major League Baseball is embracing all the young talent that has quickly become the face of the game. It's clear that's the direction the growth of the sport is moving toward.
However, if you want to win and win big, it's best to invest in older, veteran players and have them comprise a good portion of the roster. No, you don't need a starting lineup or pitching staff full of 35-year-olds, but you need a solid amount of guys who have been around the block.
Don't believe me? Look at the oldest teams in the sport by average age.
The oldest teams in MLB, by average age:
— Matt Weyrich (@MattWeyrichFBB) October 16, 2019
1. Nationals (31.1) - Made WS
2. Yankees (30.0) - ALCS
3. Braves (29.7) - Won NL East
4. Astros (29.4) - ALCS
5. Dodgers (29.0) - 106 wins
6. Cards (28.8) - Won NL Central
But yeah, aim for those cheap young guys. Right, savvy MLB execs?
Hmm. The oldest team in baseball, the Washington Nationals, are going to the World Series, and another one in the top five, the New York Yankees or Houston Astros, will meet them in the Fall Classic.
It's not like none of those teams have young stars (Gleyber Torres, Juan Soto and Yordan Alvarez), but it's the older players who come up big in October (i.e. NLCS MVP Howie Kendrick).
For the full context, here’s my piece for Federal Baseball hot off the press https://t.co/nDvyGW9gfj
— Matt Weyrich (@MattWeyrichFBB) October 17, 2019
Yes, "Let the Kids Play," but the kids aren't the ones leading their teams in the postseason. There's something to this trend and maybe there will be a market correction in free agency this offseason.