Albert Pujols' age

[DK]

16 and trying to pass as an 8 year old

Lol.

[Madison]

16 and trying to pass as an 8 year old

Ouch.

Actually, last I heard, he was still playing little league ball. Not doing as well, but that's not a big surprise against kids his own age.

[Guest]

the latest rumor is that albert is indeed lying about his age. he is actually only 18. he just has gigantism.

[DK]

the latest rumor is that albert is indeed lying about his age. he is actually only 18. he just has gigantism.

Lol!

[LCBOY]

Some some thoughts on Pujols' age.

1. Last year many Latin players had to fess up about their true agebecasue on the new stringent visa rules. I believe that the players had to verify their ages again to obtain new work visas. Pujol's name never came up as having problems with verifying his age.

2. If Pujols really is older (say 26 or 27) this really changes his potential for the rest of his career. Age is a the biggest indicator of future production. Very few players have had dominant rookie seasons comparable to Pujols, Joe DiMaggio and Dick Allen come to mind. The younger a player is when he reaches the majors the higher the baseline and thus the more time they have to improve. Most players improve up through age 27 and then hold that level through their mid 30s. Then a decline phase begins usually in the mid to late 30s.

So if Pujols is really 26-27 then what he has done, while still impressive, is not really unique in baseball history. Many players have reached the majors at age 24 and dominated right away, McGwire and Piazza being recent examples. What is VERY RARE is for a 18-20 year old to the reach the majors and play well from the start. A large number of players that reach the majors by age 20 go on to became big-time stars. Here are a few with their ages:

Bob Feller (17)
Robin Yount (18)
Dwight Gooden (19)
Ken Griffey Jr. (19)
Willie Mays (20)
Mickie Mantle (20)
A-Rod (20)

Of course not all 20 year old majors leaguers end up being big-time players but if a player reaches the majors by age 20 they have a good chance to be a really good player.

[DK]

Of course not all 20 year old majors leaguers end up being big-time players but if a player reaches the majors by age 20 they have a good chance to be a really good player.

a bit of an edit here...if they come in at age 20 and perform well. if a player comes up at age 20 and bombs, even if he was a top prospect that certainly puts a damper on his development.