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The heat of summer means that the MLB season fully takes center stage, and even when the sports world does pick up in the later months, the Fall Classic is not to be missed. We’ve taken a look at the teams with the most World Series wins and players with most Grand Slams, but it’s time to pay tribute to the players who proved age was just a number with the oldest MLB MVPs of all time.
Nearly the entire list of the top five oldest MLB MVPs of all time could be one player if we listed out his MVPs separately. Entire books can and have been written about the career and life that Barry Bonds has had, and there is no shortage of storylines. While those are vast, we’re going to focus on the incredible seasons he had at such a late stage in his storied career.
It’s not a typo, either – Barry Bonds in fact won four straight MVP awards in his late 30s. Some of the interesting stats throughout this time period include how many times he was walked in comparison to actual hits and home runs, but let’s break down some raw numbers. The 2001 MVP season was when he set the record for 73 home runs, which speaks for itself.
As for the years following, he hit at least 45 homers in all three and failed to eclipse 100 RBIs just once (90 in 2003). Perhaps the aspect of this time period that most fans don’t discuss is how few times Barry Bonds struck out. In three of these four MVP seasons, he did so fewer than 50 times twice and fewer than 60 times in the other.
Bonds won the aforementioned MVP awards with the San Francisco Giants, but he began his career with the Pittsburgh Pirates. So too did Willie Stargell, who was in the Steel City for a long 21-year career. While it was lengthy, this MVP award was the only one that Stargell was able to win.
He may not be the household name that Barry Bonds is, but he was as consistent as it gets. He was finally recognized for this just before turning 40 in what would be just three years before his final season in the MLB. In this 1979 MVP season, Stargell racked up 119 hits, 32 home runs, 82 RBIs while recording a slugging percentage of .552%.
Swapping from the plate to the mound brings us to the first pitcher on our list of the top five oldest MLB MVPs of all time. Dennis Eckersley played for five teams throughout his 24-year career, but it was his nine-year stint with the Oakland Athletics that most fans remember him for, along with his iconic mustache.
This 1992 season was the only MVP of his career, and as you’d expect, he also won the Cy Young this same season. His 7-1 record may not jump off the page, but his 1.91 ERA certainly does. He helped lead the A’s to the American League Championship, but they would fall 4-2 to the eventual-champion Toronto Blue Jays.
Transitioning back to the plate puts Mike Schmidt on the list of the top five oldest MLB MVPs of all time, and Schmidt also did it with his glove. The longtime Philadelphia Phillie won the award three times in his 18-year career with one team, including back-to-back wins in 1980 and 1981.
In his 1986 MVP season, Mike Schmidt hit 37 home runs, which was in the midst of a stretch in which he hit 30+ homers in nine straight seasons. That also included three seasons with 40+, and in 1986, he also recorded 119 RBI. We mentioned his fielding, and this 1986 season was also his 10th Gold Glove win after receiving one every year from 1976-84.
Finally, the last player on our list of the top five oldest MLB MVPs of all time is one that also dates the furthest back. Compared to the previous four players, Hank Sauer may not be quite as recognizable, and he hopped around from team to team during his 15 years in the MLB.
Despite being 35 years old, his 1952 MVP season was right in the middle of that 15-year career while he was with the Chicago Cubs. That six-year stretch was easily the best of his career, especially in 1952. During this season, Sauer crushed 37 homers and recorded 121 RBIs, both of which led the league. His .531 slugging percentage was also the third-best in the MLB that season, and the left fielder also hit 31 doubles.
Mark has been a lifelong fan of all sports, and five years ago turned it into a profession, specializing in the NFL, NHL and MLB. He is a diehard Baltimore Ravens fan and has had his work published in sites such as Sports Illustrated, Pickswise and other top outlets.