Years
|
Top
10 Avg
|
Top
25 Avg
|
Top
10 WAvg
|
Top
25 WAvg
|
1947-51
|
30.5
|
29.64
|
30.15
|
29.63
|
1952-56
|
27.6
|
29.28
|
27.33
|
28.9
|
1957-61
|
26.6
|
27.62
|
26.59
|
27.25
|
1962-66
|
28.4
|
27.38
|
28.72
|
27.66
|
1967-71
|
29.6
|
28.76
|
29.9
|
29.02
|
1972-76
|
27.6
|
28.12
|
27.68
|
28.08
|
1977-81
|
26.1
|
27.56
|
26.25
|
27.48
|
1982-86
|
27.6
|
28
|
27.52
|
27.88
|
1987-91
|
29.1
|
28.32
|
28.97
|
28.38
|
1992-96
|
27.1
|
27.92
|
27.06
|
27.8
|
1997-2001
|
28.1
|
28.44
|
28.16
|
28.46
|
2002-06
|
29.8
|
29.56
|
29.8
|
29.74
|
2007-11
|
27.85
|
27.7
|
27.98
|
27.75
|
2012-16
|
27.12
|
28.9
|
27.18
|
28.54
|
The good young players from 1957-1961 were
Player
|
WAR
|
Avg
Age
|
Hank Aaron
|
41.3
|
25
|
Frank Robinson
|
30.9
|
23
|
Al Kaline
|
29
|
24
|
Rocky Colavito
|
23.4
|
25
|
The good young players from 1977-1981 were
Player
|
WAR
|
Avg
Age
|
George Brett
|
34.3
|
26
|
Gary Carter
|
27.4
|
25
|
Andre Dawson
|
26.4
|
24
|
Keith Hernandez
|
24.9
|
25
|
Chet Lemon
|
24.7
|
24
|
Willie Randolph
|
24.6
|
24
|
This next table shows how many of the players in the top 10 and top 25 had an average age less than 27 in each period. That means 26 or less and would include guys who were 24-25-26-27-28, so at least 2 of their seasons were at age 25 or younger. 1977-81 had six "young" players in the top 10, the most for any period. 1952-56 is second with 5. Both 2007-11 and 2012-2016 have had a large number of young players in the top 25.
Years
|
Top
10 < 27
|
Top
25 < 27
|
1947-51
|
1
|
6
|
1952-56
|
5
|
3
|
1957-61
|
4
|
10
|
1962-66
|
3
|
11
|
1967-71
|
2
|
7
|
1972-76
|
4
|
8
|
1977-81
|
6
|
10
|
1982-86
|
4
|
9
|
1987-91
|
2
|
8
|
1992-96
|
4
|
8
|
1997-2001
|
3
|
7
|
2002-06
|
1
|
5
|
2007-11
|
4
|
11
|
2012-16
|
2
|
12
|
This time line chart shows how many players 25 or younger had a WAR of at least 5 per team each year going back to 1946 (I used 4.75 for 154 game seasons and made similar adjustments for strike years). I did it per team since when there are fewer teams, not as many players will reach a given WAR. Baseball Reference says a WAR of 5 is an All-Star season.
It looks like the rate was pretty high for most of 1955-67. Six of those seasons were at least 0.4 and that mark has been eclipsed in only 2 seasons since then. There has been an upward trend since 2004.
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