KC Royals: George Brett still had it going at 40

The KC Royals have had plenty of players through their history, but one player tends to stand out by way of accomplishments, and now it’s because of age.

Things are starting to heat up in the world of baseball as it looks as though the 2020 season may finally get back on track. The draft also looked to be a success for the KC Royals and now they are looking towards singing some non-drafted free agents.

Many of these players being singed are very young, just getting started in their 20s or some out of high school at 18. Either way, these guys are going to be the future of baseball. While seeing all these young names float around though, Will Leitch over at MLB.com put together a list of each team’s best season by a player over 40.

The list provides an interesting look at something many fans may not think about regularly. Often, you hear about players seeing the end of their career once they hit their late 30’s, but there were some definite gems who were able to find some steam later in life.

The list covers every team, and has some great names on it, including 2 appearances by Bartolo Colon, because why not? For the Royals, the player to be named should come as no surprise in that it is George Brett.

Brett had a very long, 21-year career in Kansas City and was as loyal as any could be. A 13 time All-Star, 3 time Silver Slugger, MVP, and Hall of Famer, just to name a few, Brett was one of the greatest players to ever play in a Royals uniform.

While he showed signs of aging and started to slow down towards the end of his career, Brett now has this title of the best season for the Royals by a player over age 40.

The season noted for Brett was his age 40 season, and also the last of his career, in 1993. There was a definite gap that can be seen between his best season and the ’93 season, but for someone who had played over 20 years and had hit age 40, Brett still looked pretty good.

He slashed .266/.312/.434 on the season, adding 19 home runs, 31 doubles, and 75 RBI’s. He also managed to see time in 145 games, something even some young players can’t manage.

If 40-year-old Brett were available today,  he might be an everyday starter on the Royals roster, and there are many fans that would likely be ok with this.

While Brett may have slowed down by the 1993 season and showed some signs of aging, he was still the great baseball player that everyone knew him as. Now, it’s good to see him recognized for his best years and his oldest.

George Brett is one of the greatest players to ever put on a Royals uniform, and his list of accomplishments just further proves that point. Even as an older player, he was able to produce when needed and help the team he loved.