The best careers after age 35 in MLB history: 6. Ted Williams, 1954-60 (35-41)
- .337/.477/.624
- 184 HR
- 541 RBI
- 39.4 WAR
Ted Williams is one of the players in this list whose performance did not take one tiny step back following his 35th birthday. He’s one of the best hitters to ever walk the earth and continued that dominance through the final seven years of his career. Williams earned All-Star selections in each of his last seven seasons, part of 19 times he was selected throughout his career.
He won two batting titles in 1957 and ’58 at the ages of 38 and 39, respectively. That 1957 campaign was one of the best of his career as Williams slashed .388/.526/.731 with 38 home runs and 87 RBIs in only 132 games. Williams had that rare combo of hitting for both power and average. He hit .300+ in all but one of his final seven seasons. During that span, Williams hit better than .340 four different times.
The two-time Triple Crown winner hit .337 through the later stages of his career, a mark that ranks fifth in MLB history. His .477 OBP ranks second all-time, while his .624 slugging ranks third. Through these final seven seasons, Williams hit a total of 184 home runs and 541 RBIs, helping boost his WAR to just 39.4 in seven seasons. That’s an average WAR increase of nearly six points each season. To put that in perspective, Cody Bellinger led the MLB with a WAR of nine in 2019, the last full MLB season. Adding six points to your career WAR every year after the age of 35 is remarkable.
Williams was elected to Baseball’s Hall of Fame in 1966.