He's only <insert age here> years old

[Effington]

Hey guys,

I've heard this expression in other sports, probably more predominant in football, but it's also the strong case in baseball, focusing on the successful "young" players. However, what is the cutoff for being an up-and-comer?

For example, in another thread I read someone referred to Albert Pujols as "only" 29 years old. Is that really that young? I thought by the 30's you're considered past your prime and declining? Honestly, the only guys who I see as amazing, young and improving superstars are guys like Evan Longoria, Adam Jones, and Justin Upton. Albert Pujols is a bonafide superstar, but I see him as in his prime now, not a young stud who's on the rise.

You can make the argument in football as well. LT is around 29 and considered passed his prime, also guys like Steven Jackson, or Larry Johnson, who is not even that old.

So my question is, where do we make the distinction between "on the rise" vs. "decline", and what is the range of your "prime"?

[littlebugga26]

Re: He's only &lt;insert age here&gt; years old

well it's most definitely different between the sports.

Also it depends upon your experience in the league. For instance, LeBron is only 23 or 24 and he is already entering his prime.

If I had to estimate, the average NFL Player enters his "prime" at about age 26 and it ends at about age 30, depending on his position.

In baseball I'd say that the ending age is alot higher because the sport is less demanding on your body.

[OhCanadian]

Re: He's only &lt;insert age here&gt; years old

Hey guys,

I've heard this expression in other sports, probably more predominant in football, but it's also the strong case in baseball, focusing on the successful "young" players. However, what is the cutoff for being an up-and-comer?

For example, in another thread I read someone referred to Albert Pujols as "only" 29 years old. Is that really that young? I thought by the 30's you're considered past your prime and declining? Honestly, the only guys who I see as amazing, young and improving superstars are guys like Evan Longoria, Adam Jones, and Justin Upton. Albert Pujols is a bonafide superstar, but I see him as in his prime now, not a young stud who's on the rise.

You can make the argument in football as well. LT is around 29 and considered passed his prime, also guys like Steven Jackson, or Larry Johnson, who is not even that old.

So my question is, where do we make the distinction between "on the rise" vs. "decline", and what is the range of your "prime"?

Well, hockey prime is 23-32ish. Baseball seems to be much longer than that. 26-36???

[masterkembo]

Re: He's only &lt;insert age here&gt; years old

Football prime is way different than baseball. Not many guys have real successful careers after the age of 30 in football (except QBs). How many RB's have ever put up huge numbers into their 30's? Obvisouly there is some, but they're the exception rather than the norm. Those guys just take too much of a beating.

Pujols is without a doubt in his prime, but he is still young in a sense. Often, baseball players don't hit their power number potential until their early 30's for whatever reason, so in that sense Pujols may have his best homerun numbers ahead of him and as long as he stays healthy, could easily put another 8-10 big number seasons on the board.

[moemoe24]

Re: He's only &lt;insert age here&gt; years old

well it's most definitely different between the sports.

Also it depends upon your experience in the league. For instance, LeBron is only 23 or 24 and he is already entering his prime.

If I had to estimate, the average NFL Player enters his "prime" at about age 26 and it ends at about age 30, depending on his position.

In baseball I'd say that the ending age is alot higher because the sport is less demanding on your body.

No no....that's what is so scary about Lebron, he isn't in his prime yet but just getting ready to enter it. He's already playing like a prime time player, but age wise, he's getting ready to enter into it. In another year or 2, Lebron will be the best player to ever play basketball ever......anywhere!!!

[OhCanadian]

Re: He's only &lt;insert age here&gt; years old

No no....that's what is so scary about Lebron, he isn't in his prime yet but just getting ready to enter it. He's already playing like a prime time player, but age wise, he's getting ready to enter into it. In another year or 2, Lebron will be the best player to ever play basketball ever......anywhere!!!

You obviously haven't seen me play. I'm 6'1 210lbs of pure white dude! Phhhhh, Nothing but air!

[rangers76]

Re: He's only &lt;insert age here&gt; years old

Hey guys,

I've heard this expression in other sports, probably more predominant in football, but it's also the strong case in baseball, focusing on the successful "young" players. However, what is the cutoff for being an up-and-comer?

For example, in another thread I read someone referred to Albert Pujols as "only" 29 years old. Is that really that young? I thought by the 30's you're considered past your prime and declining? Honestly, the only guys who I see as amazing, young and improving superstars are guys like Evan Longoria, Adam Jones, and Justin Upton. Albert Pujols is a bonafide superstar, but I see him as in his prime now, not a young stud who's on the rise.

You can make the argument in football as well. LT is around 29 and considered passed his prime, also guys like Steven Jackson, or Larry Johnson, who is not even that old.

So my question is, where do we make the distinction between "on the rise" vs. "decline", and what is the range of your "prime"?

At 26 and 27 respectively I'd throw Ian Kinsler and Josh Hamilton in there too.

[renatus]

Re: He's only &lt;insert age here&gt; years old

No no....that's what is so scary about Lebron, he isn't in his prime yet but just getting ready to enter it. He's already playing like a prime time player, but age wise, he's getting ready to enter into it. In another year or 2, Lebron will be the best player to ever play basketball ever......anywhere!!!

the best in the age of the rules that cut down on defence

[moemoe24]

Re: He's only &lt;insert age here&gt; years old

the best in the age of the rules that cut down on defence

I don't understand what you mean. Are you saying they don't let them play D like they did when?? In the 90's?? The only difference now is they don't let them handcheck like they did then. But I got to ask...you really think a handcheck is going to stop Lebron??

There are guys that score more now because of tightening up the whistles on the perimeter, but not Lebron. He could score in any era.

[livnlegn]

Re: He's only &lt;insert age here&gt; years old

27 (I think Bill James was one of the first to recognize this) is typically thought of as an MLB players peak year-- their prime could be 25-29 or 26-28. This is generally thought of as only relevant to batters. Pitchers improve and collapse at many different ages. I think it's because pitching is something that experience and knowledge can help and injuries and confidence and wear and tear can hurt.

And if we look at Barry Bonds or Chipper or in many other cases, the same thing that is true for pitchers is occasionally true for batters.

[cienfuegos]

Re: He's only &lt;insert age here&gt; years old

Bill James is fond of narrowing down a human being into a single statistic. The truth is that it depends. The Barry Bonds example is a case in point. While a batter's speed and eyes might diminish with age, sometimes a little knowledge and wisdom compensates for this. Young batters tend to mash the fastball, as anyone in AAA that has good control and/or movement is in the bigs. Older batters may not be able to get around on fastballs as well as they used to, so they either get good at recognizing the breaking pitches, or they fizzle away into obscurity. Experience and "time served" are more relevant than age is. Someone like Lebron is awesome now, but has been playing for 6 years. While he is technically young at 24, he is old in terms of basketball. I wouldn't expect him to play at the same level when he is 30, that someone like Jordan was playing at 30. I could be wrong on this one, as Lebron is an anomoly for sure (I have never seen anyone with the ability to excelerate like him). As far as baseball is concerned, like I said you either adjust around 30 and then stay in your prime for another 4-6 years, or else you fizzle.

[livnlegn]

Re: He's only &lt;insert age here&gt; years old

Bill James is fond of narrowing down a human being into a single statistic. The truth is that it depends. The Barry Bonds example is a case in point. While a batter's speed and eyes might diminish with age, sometimes a little knowledge and wisdom compensates for this. Young batters tend to mash the fastball, as anyone in AAA that has good control and/or movement is in the bigs. Older batters may not be able to get around on fastballs as well as they used to, so they either get good at recognizing the breaking pitches, or they fizzle away into obscurity. Experience and "time served" are more relevant than age is. Someone like Lebron is awesome now, but has been playing for 6 years. While he is technically young at 24, he is old in terms of basketball. I wouldn't expect him to play at the same level when he is 30, that someone like Jordan was playing at 30. I could be wrong on this one, as Lebron is an anomoly for sure (I have never seen anyone with the ability to excelerate like him). As far as baseball is concerned, like I said you either adjust around 30 and then stay in your prime for another 4-6 years, or else you fizzle.

I think where he was getting the number from was that I believe medically you are generally considered to be at your physical peak at 27 years old. From then on, your basically just slowly dying.

[cienfuegos]

Re: He's only &lt;insert age here&gt; years old

I think where he was getting the number from was that I believe medically you are generally considered to be at your physical peak at 27 years old. From then on, your basically just slowly dying.

Again there is no truth to that. While this may be the average amongst population, the sample size for human beings is always one.

[findinghomer]

Re: He's only &lt;insert age here&gt; years old

baseball players have a much longer career. and NO, 30 is not "past prime" 30-33 IS your prime. average football career is 3 years, so 29 is OLD in football. like declining old.

[livnlegn]

Re: He's only &lt;insert age here&gt; years old

Again there is no truth to that. While this may be the average amongst population, the sample size for human beings is always one.

I don't know, most scouts and stat geeks (Bill James, Baseball Prospectus, etc.) mention the 27 peak season/year.

I am not trying to set forth inarguable truths, but if the question is-- "What is generally considered the peak age of a major league baseball player?"
The answer is
"27."
At least for batters.