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MLB History: Best careers after age of 35

By Adam Taylor McKillop

PHILADELPHIA, PA - JUNE 28: A baseball with MLB logo is seen at Citizens Bank Park before a game between the Washington Nationals and Philadelphia Phillies on June 28, 2018 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
PHILADELPHIA, PA - JUNE 28: A baseball with MLB logo is seen at Citizens Bank Park before a game between the Washington Nationals and Philadelphia Phillies on June 28, 2018 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images) /
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Gaylord Perry
Gaylord Perry (Photo by: Ron Kuntz Collection/Diamond Images/Getty Images) /

The best careers after age 35 in MLB history: 14. Gaylord Perry, 1974-83 (35-44)

  • 137 wins (137-121)
  • 3.38 ERA
  • 3.25 FIP
  • 44.7 WAR

Throughout his 22 seasons in the MLB, Gaylord Perry was an absolute workhorse on the mound. The MLB journeyman saw action with eight different ball clubs throughout his career, but never because of a lack of ability or excellence. He won 20 games five different times and racked up that magic 300-win mark for an automatic Hall of Fame induction. Perry ended up with 314 career wins and remained a force on the mound until age 44.

The 1991 Hall of Fame inductee spent 10 seasons in the MLB after turning 35. He won at least 10 games in all but two of those years and racked up two more seasons with 20+ wins. Despite not earning an All-Star appearance in 1978, this was one of the best seasons in his career. Playing for the San Diego Padres, Perry led the NL with 21 wins and just six losses. He threw more than 260 innings that season with a 2.73 ERA en route to a Cy Young award.

With that 1978 Cy Young award, Perry became the first pitcher to win the award in both leagues. An impressive feat that only five other players in MLB history have accomplished. Perry owned a 44.7 WAR in his career after the age of 35, a mark that ranks sixth on the all-time list for pitchers.

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