Texas Rangers pitcher Bartolo Colon is aging like a fine wine

Texas Rangers starting pitcher Bartolo Colon pitched a gem today and is one of the few people in the baseball history to pitch regularly at 45 years old.

Way back in 2005, Bartolo Colon won the AL Cy Young Award when he was 21-8 with a 3.48 ERA. It’s easy to argue that Johan Santana (16-7, 2.87 ERA) deserved the award, but Big Bart won it. Colon was 32 years old at the time, presumably beginning the downside of his career, while Santana was still in his prime at 26 years old. Here it is 13 years later, and Bartolo Colon is still tossing gems with the Texas Rangers, while Santana hasn’t thrown a pitch in the big leagues since 2012.

Colon doesn’t age. He looks the same now as he did five years ago or 10 years ago or 15 years ago. He has the physique of a professional wrestler from the 1970s.

If he were a vegetable, he’d be an eggplant. He would have to lose 50 pounds to have a “dad bod.”

On Wednesday, Colon took the mound in Seattle and dominated the Mariners, like he always does at Safeco Field. He matched up against Christian Bergman, who was five years old when Colon signed with Cleveland in 1993. Despite taking a lined shot to the mid-section in the fourth inning that left a dent in his fat, Colon pitched 7 2/3 scoreless innings, allowing four hits, no walks, and striking out three.

The liner off Colon’s Buddha belly came in the fourth inning. Mariner shortstop Jean Segura lined a ball up the middle that hit Colon with a thud and dropped to the ground. Colon picked it up and threw Segura out at first easily. He said later, “It hit me more on the side than in the middle. I have a lot of big belly, so I can take it.”

After today’s mastery, Colon is 14-1 with a 1.97 ERA in 16 starts at The Safe. It makes you wonder why the Mariners never signed him as a free agent. Perhaps they’ll look to trade for Colon later in the season. He definitely won’t be needed in Texas, as the Rangers don’t look like they’ll compete for a playoff spot this year.

Through one-fourth of the season, Colon is second on the Texas Rangers in innings pitched and leads all Rangers starting pitchers in ERA, now at 2.82 after today’s game. He’s doing it like he’s done it for years, just firing fastball after fastball after fastball.

Even though his fastball is a well below-average 88 mph, he throws it 84 percent of the time. He has terrific control, though, as he’s walked just four batters in 51 innings.

Of course, his FIP is 4.49, so he’s been a bit lucky, particularly his .204 BABIP. Even a 4.49 FIP is playable these days, so Colon may be on the move later this season to help a contender down the stretch.

He’s already a rarity as a 45-year-old pitching regularly in the major leagues, and if he continues trucking along, he could put his name up there with previous 45-year-olds like Nolan Ryan and Satchel Paige.

With 51 innings under his ample belt, Colon is tenth in MLB history in innings pitched for pitchers in their age-45 season. Hoyt Wilhelm (1968) is next, at 93.7 innings, followed by Randy Johnson at 96 innings (2009).

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Then it jumps up to the legendary Satchel Paige, who pitched 138 innings with the St. Louis Browns when he was 45 years old in 1952. At least we think he was 45 years old. He could have been pretty much any age in his 40s for all we know.

If Bartolo Colon continues to pitch regularly the entire season, he could finish with as many innings as 45-year-old Nolan Ryan in 1991. The Ryan Express pitched 157.3 innings that year, the sixth-highest total for a 45-year-old pitcher in MLB history.

The top two guys on the list are knuckleballers Phil Niekro (215.7 IP) and Charlie Hough (204.3 IP). The ageless Jamie Moyer (196.3 IP) is third and another lefty, Tommy John (176.3 IP) is fourth. Jack Quinn (161 IP), who pitched until he was 49 years old, is fifth on the list.

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Colon’s next two starts for the Texas Rangers are scheduled to take place in Texas. He’s slated to face the Yankees on May 21 and the Royals on May 26. Should the schedule hold, he’ll be back in his favorite place to pitch, Safeco Field, on May 31. Coincidentally, that’s Sriracha Night, so all Bartolo Colon fans in Seattle can grab some hot sauce and eat a hot dog or two in his honor.