The Youngest and Oldest Players On MLB Opening Day Rosters In 2023

Image credit: Ezequiel Tovar (Photo by Denis Poroy/Getty Images)

The average age of an active player on an MLB Opening Day roster was 29.33 years old. The median age of players on Opening Day rosters was 28.88. But as always, there’s a new wave of youngsters who have many years before they reach that average.

Jordan Walker, the youngest player on an Opening Day roster, won’t reach the median age of a big leaguer until 2031.

Here’s our look at the youngest and oldest players on MLB Opening Day rosters.

The AL East is a wonderland of young shortstops, as the three youngest players in the American League are all starting shortstops in that division. Maybe the most remarkable appearance on this Top 25 is Vladimir Guerrero Jr. This is Guerrero’s fifth season in the major leagues, but he remains the 16th youngest player on an AL Opening Day roster.

AMERICAN LEAGUE
Rk	Player	POS	TEAM	Age	DOB
1	Gunnar Henderson	SS	Baltimore Orioles	21.75	6/29/2001
2	Anthony Volpe	SS	New York Yankees	21.92	4/28/2001
3	Wander Franco	SS	Tampa Bay Rays	22.08	3/1/2001
4	Julio Rodriguez	CF	Seattle Mariners	22.25	12/29/2000
5	Riley Greene	CF	Detroit Tigers	22.50	9/28/2000
6	Bobby Witt	SS	Kansas City Royals	22.79	6/14/2000
7	Gabriel Arias	2B	Cleveland Guardians	23.09	2/27/2000
8	Logan O’Hoppe	C	Los Angeles Angels	23.13	2/9/2000
9	Triston Casas	1B	Boston Red Sox	23.20	1/15/2000
10	Mason Englert	RHP	Detroit Tigers	23.41	11/1/1999
11	Gregory Santos	RHP	Chicago White Sox	23.59	8/28/1999
12	Spencer Torkelson	1B	Detroit Tigers	23.59	8/26/1999
13	Jarred Kelenic	LF	Seattle Mariners	23.70	7/16/1999
14	Reid Detmers	LHP	Los Angeles Angels	23.73	7/8/1999
15	Ezequiel Duran	3B	Texas Rangers	23.85	5/22/1999
16	Vladimir Guerrero	1B	Toronto Blue Jays	24.04	3/16/1999
17	Oswaldo Cabrera	3B	New York Yankees	24.08	3/1/1999
18	Isaac Paredes	3B	Tampa Bay Rays	24.11	2/18/1999
19	Esteury Ruiz	CF	Oakland Athletics	24.12	2/15/1999
20	Andres Munoz	RHP	Seattle Mariners	24.20	1/16/1999
21	MJ Melendez	C	Kansas City Royals	24.33	11/28/1998
22	Andres Gimenez	2B	Cleveland Guardians	24.57	9/4/1998
23	Xzavion Curry	RHP	Cleveland Guardians	24.67	7/27/1998
24	Josh Winckowski	RHP	Boston Red Sox	24.75	6/28/1998
25	Hunter Gaddis	RHP	Cleveland Guardians	24.97	4/9/1998

 

If the AL’s youngest list is dominated by shortstops, it’s the outfielders, and especially the center fielders, that are notable on the National League list. Jordan Walker not only is in the top spot as the youngest in the NL, he’s nine months younger than any other player in the majors on Opening Day.

NATIONAL LEAGUE
Rk	Player	POS	TEAM	Age	DOB
1	Jordan Walker	LF	St. Louis Cardinals	20.85	5/22/2002
2	Ezequiel Tovar	SS	Colorado Rockies	21.66	8/1/2001
3	Michael Harris	CF	Atlanta Braves	22.06	3/7/2001
4	CJ Abrams	SS	Washington Nationals	22.49	10/3/2000
5	Corbin Carroll	CF	Arizona Diamondbacks	22.60	8/21/2000
6	Luis Garcia	2B	Washington Nationals	22.87	5/16/2000
7	Nolan Gorman	3B	St. Louis Cardinals	22.89	5/10/2000
8	Alek Thomas	CF	Arizona Diamondbacks	22.92	4/28/2000
9	Gabriel Moreno	C	Arizona Diamondbacks	23.12	2/14/2000
10	Ryan Weathers	LHP	San Diego Padres	23.28	12/17/1999
11	Brice Turang	SS	Milwaukee Brewers	23.35	11/21/1999
12	Miguel Vargas	2B	Los Angeles Dodgers	23.36	11/17/1999
13	Roansy Contreras	RHP	Pittsburgh Pirates	23.39	11/7/1999
14	Geraldo Perdomo	SS	Arizona Diamondbacks	23.44	10/22/1999
15	Carlos Vargas	RHP	Arizona Diamondbacks	23.46	10/13/1999
16	Hunter Greene	RHP	Cincinnati Reds	23.65	8/6/1999
17	Ji-Hwan Bae	2B	Pittsburgh Pirates	23.68	7/26/1999
18	Rodolfo Castro	2B	Pittsburgh Pirates	23.86	5/21/1999
19	Brett Wisely	SS	San Francisco Giants	23.89	5/8/1999
20	Canaan Smith-Njigba	RF	Pittsburgh Pirates	23.92	4/30/1999
21	Spencer Strider	RHP	Atlanta Braves	24.42	10/28/1998
22	Elehuris Montero	3B	Colorado Rockies	24.62	8/17/1998
23	Jared Shuster	LHP	Atlanta Braves	24.65	8/3/1998
24	Will Benson	CF	Cincinnati Reds	24.79	6/16/1998
25	Jose Barrero	SS	Cincinnati Reds	24.98	4/5/1998

Here’s a look at the oldest players in the AL. 

AMERICAN LEAGUE
Rk	Player	POS	TEAM	Age	DOB
1	Caleb Thielbar	LHP	Minnesota Twins	36.16	1/31/1987
2	Jose Abreu	1B	Houston Astros	36.16	1/29/1987
3	Jake Diekman	LHP	Chicago White Sox	36.19	1/21/1987
4	Martin Maldonado	C	Houston Astros	36.62	8/16/1986
5	Chris Martin	RHP	Boston Red Sox	36.82	6/2/1986
6	Josh Donaldson	3B	New York Yankees	37.31	12/8/1985
7	Ian Kennedy	RHP	Texas Rangers	38.28	12/19/1984
8	Justin Turner	1B	Boston Red Sox	38.35	11/23/1984
9	Zack Greinke	RHP	Kansas City Royals	39.44	10/21/1983
10	Miguel Cabrera	DH	Detroit Tigers	39.95	4/18/1983

And here’s a look at the 10 oldest players in the National League. All three players on Opening Day rosters who are 40 years old or older reside in the NL.

NATIONAL LEAGUE
Rk	Player	POS	TEAM	Age	DOB
1	Matt Carpenter	1B	San Diego Padres	37.34	11/26/1985
2	Adam Ottavino	RHP	New York Mets	37.35	11/22/1985
3	David Robertson	RHP	New York Mets	37.97	4/9/1985
4	Max Scherzer	RHP	New York Mets	38.67	7/27/1984
5	Yuli Gurriel	1B	Miami Marlins	38.80	6/9/1984
6	Charlie Morton	RHP	Atlanta Braves	39.38	11/12/1983
7	Jesse Chavez	RHP	Atlanta Braves	39.61	8/21/1983
8	Justin Verlander	RHP	New York Mets	40.10	2/20/1983
9	Nelson Cruz	DH	San Diego Padres	42.74	7/1/1980
10	Rich Hill	LHP	Pittsburgh Pirates	43.05	3/11/1980