Of the 10 oldest players in Major League Baseball heading into the 2014 season, three players: Hiroki Kuroda, Ichiro Suzuki and Derek Jeter are playing for the New York Yankees. The Los Angeles Angels follow with two elder statesmen: Raúl Ibañez and John McDonald. The Dodgers, Detroit Tigers, Toronto Blue Jays, Mets and Colorado Rockies each have one distinguished member on this list.
The split between field players and pitchers? A 60-40 split in favor of the pitchers.
10th – Hiroki Kuroda, New York Yankees, 39
Born February 10, 1975, Kuroda began his MLB career in 2008 and after four seasons with the Dodgers signed with the Yankees (2012). He made his professional debut in Japan on April 25, 1997 for the Hiroshima Toyo Carp.
9th – Jamey Wright, Los Angeles Dodgers, 39
Born December 24, 1974, Wright will begin his 19th MLB season in 2014. He played for the Dodgers in 2012, before a one-year stint with the Rays in 2013. He has played for the Rockies, Brewers, Cardinals, Royals, Giants, Rangers, Indians and Mariners as well since 1996. He led the league in hitting players with his pitches two years in a row while playing for the Brewers.
8th – Joe Nathan, Detroit Tigers, 39
Born November 22, 1974, Nathan began playing major league baseball in 1999 for the Giants. He spent 2001 in the minors and missed the entire 2010 season due to injury. He spent the last couple of seasons with the Rangers, and has also played for the Twins (2004-2011). He is a six-time All-Star, including the last couple of seasons, and has 341 career saves, 2nd among active players and 10th all-time.
7th – R.A. Dickey, Toronto Blue Jays, 39
Born October 29, 1974, Dickey has been in the majors since 2001, playing for the Rangers, Mariners and Mets before getting traded to Toronto and signing a big expensive deal with them. He had a very big 2012 season, winning the NL Cy Young award, also leading the league in strikeouts and shutouts. He won the Gold Glove award last year with the Blue Jays.
6th – John McDonald, Los Angeles Angels, 39
Born September 24, 1974, John McDonald had a busy 2013. He played on for different ball clubs: Pirates, Indians, Phillies and eventually landing with the Red Sox and winning the World Series, although he didn’t have anything to do with that. He has been in the league since 1999, playing for the Blue Jays, Tigers and Diamondbacks, although he started his career in Cleveland.
5th – Derek Jeter, New York Yankees, 39
Unlike the rest of this list, Jeter has spent his entire career with just one team. Born June 26, 1974, Jeter has played his entire career for the Yankees, beginning in 1995. He is a five-time World Series champion, a one-time World Series MVP, a 13-time All-Star, a five-time Silver Slugger and five-time Gold Glove winner. He has 3316 career hits, 10th on the all-time list, and 2014 will be his final season.
4th – Ichiro Suzuki, New York Yankees, 40
Born on October 22, 1973, Ichiro Suzuki is mainly known for his time with the Seattle Mariners, the the team he played for from 2001 until mid 2012. He began his pro career in 1992 and after winning pretty much every possible individual award he left for Major League Baseball. In MLB, he is a 10-time All-Star, two-time batting champion, one-time MVP, 3-time Silver Slugger and ten-time Gold Glove winner.
3rd – Bartolo Colon, New York Mets, 40
Born May 24, 1973, Colon made his MLB debut for the Cleveland Indians almost 17 years ago. He has since played for the Expos, White Sox, Angels, Red Sox, Yankees and most recently a two-year stint in Oakland. He is a three-time All-Star, including last season, and won the AL Cy Young award in 2005 when playing for the Angels. He had an 18-6 season last year, including a 2.65 ERA.
2nd – LaTroy Hawkins, Colorado Rockies, 41
Born December 21, 1972, Hawkins began his pro career with the Twins in 1995, spending nine seasons with the team before starting to wander around the league. Cubs, Giants, Orioles, Rockies, Yankees, Astros, Brewers, Angels, Mets and now the Rockies again. He is one of 11 active pitchers to throw an immaculate inning.
1st – Raúl Ibañez, Los Angeles Angels, 41
Born June 2, 1972, Ibañez is the oldest player in Major League Baseball heading into the 2014 season. He began his career on August 1, 1996, playing for the Seattle Mariners. He moved on to the Royals, back to Seattle, Phillies, Yankees, and against Seattle before signing his most recent deal with the Angels. He is a one-time All-Star (2009) and the recipient of the 2013 Hutch Award.