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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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Roger Clemens
Roger Clemens (Photo by CARLO ALLEGRI/AFP via Getty Images) /

The best careers after age 35 in MLB history: 13. Roger Clemens, 1998-2007 (35-44)

  • 141 wins (141-66) 
  • 3.38 ERA
  • 1790 strikeouts 
  • 46.2 WAR

Baseball has been plagued in recent years by the debate surrounding admitted steroid users and their place in the Hall of Fame. It’s a delicate argument on either side. While this list won’t take a hard stance on either side of this debate, it will recognize some of the players at the center of it.

With that being said, let’s check out one name found in the middle of this debate: starting pitcher Roger Clemens. From a purely statistical standpoint, he’s one of the greatest pitchers in this game’s lengthy history. That’s undeniable. Clemens spent 24 years in the MLB and won more than 350 games with a career 3.12 ERA. We could go on and on about his impressive career statistics, but let’s get focused on the final 10 seasons of his career.

Clemens turned 35-years-old in 1998 with the Toronto Blue Jays. Admittedly, this article is written by a diehard New York Yankees fan. I have trouble remembering Clemens with the Blue Jays – and when he turned 35, he had never worn the Pinstripes. That just goes to show how brilliant his late career was. He led all of baseball with 20 wins and an AL-leading 2.65 ERA and 271 strikeouts that season.

The seven-time Cy Young winner was a strikeout master throughout his whole career and still in the final ten seasons. Throughout his career, Clemens recorded 12 different seasons with at least 200 strikeouts. After he turned 35, he struck out at least 185 batters seven different times. His 1,790 strikeouts post-35 ranks fourth on the all-time list.

While winning seven Cy Young awards is impressive itself, Clemens also won three of these after turning 35. That’s just unheard of.

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