It's probably way too early to worry about Jim Thome's lack of power production so far this season (he's yet to homer), but at age 34 one must wonder how much Thome has left in the tank.
Of course, Thome has hit no fewer than 37 HR and driven in no less than 105 runs in each of the past five seasons. Even last year, with a thumb injury, Thome hit 42-105. But an examination of the great power hitters of all time reveals numbers can drop dramatically when players reach their mid-30s.
The first set of HR-RBI numbers is the player's average through age 34. The second set is the player's average after age 34.
Hank Aaron 34-108/31-84
Willie Mays 36-100/19-63
Frank Robinson 32-97/19-60
Harmon Killebrew 40-103/17-65
Reggie Jackson 29-88/22-67
Mike Schmidt 35-98/25-83
Mickey Mantle 31-88/20-55
Willie McCovey 27-78/17-58
Ernie Banks 34-102/18-68
Eddie Mathews 33-93/10-33
Jim Thome 32-89/??-??
Banks drove in 106 runs and hit 23 homers at age 38, but that was the exception, not the rule. Only Aaron and Schmidt really continued to hit for power consistently after 34.
2 comments:
All Thome is a late starter. He is every year. April he'll hit 4-5, May 5-6 than he'll hit 15 out of no where. He'll start slamming them soon enough.
I'm starting to think "Brian" is really Ed Wade.
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