Major League Baseball continues to get younger, with players climbing the professional ranks much more quickly to make an immediate impact. But every ballclub still needs veteran leadership throughout a 162-game season.
The oldest player in MLB history is Satchel Paige, who played his final MLB game for the Kansas City Athletics on Sept. 25, 1965, at 59. His ability to stay in the game until he was almost 60 was obviously out of the ordinary, but there are still a few players proving that age is just a number in baseball.
Ranking Oldest MLB Players in 2026
| PLAYER | TEAM | AGE |
|---|---|---|
| Justin Verlander | Tigers | 43 |
| Max Scherzer | Blue Jays | 41 |
| Carlos Santana | Diamondbacks | 39 |
| Chris Martin | Rangers | 39 |
| Yu Darvish | Padres | 39 |
| Andrew McCutchen | Rangers | 39 |
| Luis Garcia | Mets | 39 |
| Caleb Thielbar | Cubs | 39 |
| Carlos Carrasco | Braves | 38 |
| Kirby Yates | Angels | 38 |
Who is the Oldest MLB Player in 2026?
For the third straight season, Justin Verlander will begin the year as MLB’s oldest active player.
In each of the past two seasons, he eventually ceded that distinction to Rich Hill, who has held the title of the league’s oldest player for three consecutive years. But with Hill’s career likely at its end, Verlander is well positioned to keep that distinction throughout 2026.
Now back with the Detroit Tigers for his 21st season, Verlander has come full circle. He debuted with Detroit as a 22-year-old in 2005, capturing his first Cy Young award there in 2011. He later added two more Cy Young trophies with the Houston Astros in 2019 and 2022.
Across 21 seasons, Verlander owns a 3.33 ERA in 556 starts. As he begins 2026, he’s chasing a fitting final chapter — one that could include helping a Tigers team favored to win the AL Central for the first time since 2014.
Yearly Records for Oldest MLB Players
| Year | Player | Team | Age |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Rich Hill | KCR | 45 |
| 2024 | Rich Hill | BOS | 44 |
| 2023 | Rich Hill | PIT | 43 |
| 2022 | Albert Pujols | STL | 42 |
| 2021 | Albert Pujols | LAA | 42 |
| 2020 | Albert Pujols | LAA | 40 |
| 2019 | Ichiro Suzuki | SEA | 45 |
| 2018 | Bartolo Colon | TEX | 45 |
| 2017 | Bartolo Colon | MIN | 44 |
| 2016 | Bartolo Colon | NYM | 43 |
| 2015 | LaTroy Hawkins | COL | 42 |
| 2014 | Jason Giambi | CLE | 43 |
| 2013 | Mariano Rivera | NYY | 43 |
| 2012 | Jamie Moyer | COL | 49 |
| 2011 | Tim Wakefield | BOS | 44 |
| 2010 | Jamie Moyer | PHI | 47 |
| 2009 | Jamie Moyer | PHI | 46 |
| 2008 | Jamie Moyer | PHI | 45 |
| 2007 | Julio Franco | NYM | 48 |
| 2006 | Julio Franco | NYM | 47 |
| 2005 | Julio Franco | ATL | 46 |
| 2004 | Julio Franco | ATL | 45 |
| 2003 | Jesse Orosco | SDP | 46 |
| 2002 | Jesse Orosco | LAD | 45 |
| 2001 | Jesse Orosco | LAD | 44 |
| 2000 | Jesse Orosco | STL | 43 |
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