Diary of a Yankees fan: Nov. 6 was Giancarlo Stanton’s 37th birthday. The Slugger missed more than 100 games last year with calf injuries. At one point, he was on his way back and reinjured his calf while rehabilitating. It was once guaranteed that he would reach 500 home runs, a magic number that ensures enshrinement in the Hall of Fame. He has 456 home runs in his career, but hit only 3 last year. Getting to 500 for the fragile slugger is questionable.
Stanton is not the only old, for baseball, Yankee. This is a problem for the team, diary of a Yankees fan. They were the 20th oldest team in baseball last season, with an average age of 29.35 years. However, the average age of the Yankees was pulled down by some young players. They have some key pieces who are pretty old. Do you think age will impede the Yankees in future seasons?
Diary of a Yankees Fan #23
Diary of a Yankees fan: Giancarlo Stanton turned 37 on Nov. 6. His quest for 500 home runs is now in doubt due to muliple injuries. However, it is the case that time waits for no man, and there are several important players on the team whose age is an issue. This article will highlight a few.
Aaron Judge (4/26/1992)
This argument about the aging Yankees starts with Aaron Judge. The slugger missed about 100 games last year. He will be 35 on opening day in 2027, and if there is no season, he will be 36 on opening day in 2028. There is the concept of peak judge, which states the Yankees have wasted the best years of his career. It certainly seems so given his injuries last season. Can we really expect him to play more as he ages?
Also, he will want to play right field, but the prudent play is to have him not play the field. So, he should be the designated hitter. However, Giancarlo Stanton is there. This is a major problem, diary of a Yankees fan, for the team as they need both big right-handed bats in the lineup.
Gerrit Cole (9/8/1990)
Gerrit Cole is even older than Judge, diary of a Yankees fan. He was the team’s ace, but Cy Young Award finalist Cam Schlittler has probably supplanted him. He too missed significant time due to injury. He missed more than a year after having his throwing-arm elbow reconstructed. When he came back, he still threw hard, but was inconsistent. His best days are likely behind him.
Carlos Rodon (12/10/1992)
Cole and Judge are well-known, but perhaps an aging Yankee who is less well-known is Carlos Rodon. The starting pitcher is coming into his own as he has thrown back-to-back excellent seasons. However, it is important to recognize that Rodon’s last season was marred by injuries. He was on the Injured List twice, diary of a Yankees fan. He is going to be 36 in about a month, and it is reasonable to expect Rodon to slow down somewhat. His faulty elbow is a big injury risk whenever they start playing baseball again.
Fernando Cruz (3/28/1990)
Fernando Cruz may have made his last relief pitching appearance for the team, according to a Yankees fan, as he was injured near the end of last year and did not return, though he tried to. He will be 37 during spring training, if there is one, and will be coming off an injury. The team can no longer rely on his excellent split-finger fastball coming out of the bullpen; they need to find a younger alternative.
Conclusion: Paul Goldschmidt
Diary of a Yankees fan: a very scary thing from an age stanpoint is that the Yankees are considering bringing back 39-year-old designated hitter and first baseman, Paul Goldschmidt. He says he wants to come back. Though he did play well in limited playing time last year, particularly at the beginning of the season, he tired quickly and showed his age. If the team re-signs him, they will get older, and he will add to a logjam of players at first base and designated hitter.
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