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Delmon Young, long considered washed up, turns 30

By Michael Natelli

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We all come across those things in life that we really just can’t decide if we love or hate. Whether it was a song, a car, a potential love interest or something else, we all have them.

Something, or rather someone, that can fall into that category is Delmon Young. The former first-overall pick turns 30 on Tuesday, and currently sits on the free agent market despite hitting a respectable .270 with the Baltimore Orioles across 52 games in the first half.

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There’s a lot of reasons to dislike Young, perhaps the most prominent being this video of the then-19-year-old prospect throwing his bat at an umpire. And then there’s the seven-game suspension Young received in 2012 for drunkenly yelling an anti-Semitic slur in New York City.

He’s also not particularly fast, struggles against right-handed pitching, and even in his years struggled to draw walks. But even with all those things being said, Young is perhaps one of the most overlooked players in baseball. Where’s the love for Delmon Young?

The 30-year-old has seemingly gotten his life together off the field, is a year removed from hitting .302 on an American League runner-up Orioles team, and hit a respectable .270 with Baltimore in 2015 before being let go in early July. He’s also never hit below .258 despite bouncing around from club to club over the last few seasons, and has also shown an ability to be a contributor off the bench when called upon.

If nothing else, Young seems like an ideal pinch hitter for a National League squad and a quality option as a platoon designated hitter/occasional left fielder for an American League team. His salary was a reasonable $2.25-million with the Orioles this season, and he could have likely been had for less on the open market. Advanced metrics may look less fondly on Young than stats like batting average, OPS, etc., but let’s give the birthday boy some love here.

Gone are the days where Young was set to be the next big thing, or where he hit 21 home runs, 112 RBIs and 46 doubles as a 24-year-0ld. But there’s more than enough baseball left in the guy’s body that he shouldn’t be jobless, especially with expanded rosters in September. Perhaps it’s a little late for Young to find work this year, but he certainly deserves a look from some clubs in need of some depth this winter.

Next: Johnny Cueto Pitching His Way Out of Postseason Rotation?

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