The best careers after age 35 in MLB history: 24. Carl Yastrzemski, 1975-83 (35-43)
- .272/.359/.433
- 1152 hits
- 663 RBI
For nearly half a century, the Boston Red Sox had no issues in left field. It started with the Hall of Famer Ted Williams, who owned the starting job in left from 1939-60. We all know and respect the greatness of Williams, but his successor was equally as impressive. Coming in at No. 24 on this list, Carl Yastrzemski. For the next 23 years, Yastrzemski held onto the position in left field and produced great results.
Yastrzemski follows a similar path to the previous member of this list, Pete Rose, and a ton of players to be named later. It’s all about longevity and the ability to play every day. While his career post-35 may not have been the greatest years of his career, Yastrzemski earned All-Star appearances in seven of his final nine seasons. While he never led the league in any statistical categories after turning 35, he consistently played in at least 130 or more games.
Through those final nine seasons, Yastrzemski averaged 128 hits, 64 runs, 17 home runs, and 74 RBIs per season. Consistency definitely counts. Yastrzemski was inducted into the MLB Hall of Fame in 1989, earned 18 All-Star appearances, won a Triple Crown, seven Gold Gloves, and three batting titles throughout his illustrious career.