Who has the longest MLB career?
It’s hard not to pay tribute to the player with the longest career in Major League Baseball. After all, getting into the big leagues is hard, and it’s equally hard to stay there and be successful enough.
That means there’s something special about the top-ranked players with the longest baseball careers and the most MLB games played. In addition to performing well, they must stay healthy & avoid injuries that could lead to their replacement.
Charlie Hough, season 25
As a knuckleballer, Charlie Hough has an easier time sticking around than some of the other pitchers on our list of longest MLB careers. He lasted from 1970-1994, spending a decade with the Dodgers & a decade with the Rangers before finishing his career with the White Sox & Marlins.
He was selected as an All-Star just once, but his “knuckle dance” knocked hitters off balance long enough for Hough to pitch for 25 years, going 216 with a 3.75 ERA.
Eddie Collins, 25 seasons
Eddie Collins had a long career from 1906-1930, a time of great victories and six World Series rings. He was a member of the Philadelphia Athletics when they won championships in 1910, 1911, & 1913. In 1917, he won another title with the White Sox.
Collins returned to Athletics after winning back-to-back World Series titles in 1929 and 1930. That makes him the only non-Yankee player to win five World Series titles with the same team. Collins isn’t just for joyrides; he has 3,315 career hits & a . 333 career batting average. Collins also won MVP honors in 1914 & led the AL in stolen bases four times.
Bobby Wallace, 25 seasons
Bobby Wallace was an elder timer who played 25 seasons in the major leagues from 1894-1918. He spent his first five years with the Cleveland Spiders & the rest of his career in St. Louis, playing for the Browns and Cardinals.
He is considered the best shortstop of his generation. Before Omar Vizquel broke his record in 2012, he was the oldest shortstop player in the majors. Wallace was a . 268 hitter with more than 2,300 at-bats.
Jim Kaat, season 25
Jim Kaat is among the few crafty lefties to have a long career in the big leagues. He pitched from 1959 to 1983, for 25 seasons, despite Pitching for just five franchises. While he was an All-Star only three times in his career, Kaat won 16 straight Gold Gloves from 1962 to 1977, making him the Greg Maddux of his generation.
In 2022, his accomplishments will finally be recognized when the Golden Days Era committee elects him to the Hall of Fame.
Rickey Henderson, 25 seasons
It’s hard to get Ricky Henderson out once he’s on base, and it’s hard to get him out once he’s in baseball.
From 1979 to 2003, Henderson played 25 seasons for nine organizations, including multiple stints with the Oakland Athletics. Not only was Henderson a great player, but he was arguably the best starting hitter and base stealer in MLB history.
Usually, we think of quick players deteriorating with age, but not Henderson.
He stuck around for over 20 years, played at a high level, and was a 10-time All-Star, not to mention the 1990 MVP. Due to his longevity, he is the all-time MLB leader in stolen bases and scoring. He also collected more than 3,000 hits and set a single-season record with 130 stolen bases, which is why he was also a first-round Hall of Fame voting member.
Jamie Moyer, season 25
Jamie Moyer is the latest player on our list of longest baseball careers. He pitched for 25 seasons and, in 2012, became the oldest pitcher to win an MLB game.
Moyer played for eight teams over 25 years, winning 269 games with a career ERA of 4.25. He only made one All-Star team, so his career wasn’t spectacular. But even though he’s too old to throw particularly hard, Moyer has found a way to get hitters out with skill and precise control, so it’s admirable that he’s lasted this long.
Deacon McGuire, 26 season
If you want to remember Deacon McGuire’s 26 seasons in the majors, you must turn back the clock. McGuire was a catcher, which made his quarter-century in the majors even better.
He’s been a durable catcher, which has allowed him to set numerous records, including assists in the game, stolen bases caught, and stolen bases allowed, all of which have stayed in the record books. In his 26 seasons, McGuire also played for 11 different teams, batting. 278 and racking up 1,748 hits and 45 home runs.
Not only did he have the surgery that bears his name, but his 26 seasons make Tommy John one of the longest careers in MLB.
Of course, the fact that he underwent surgery of the same name and could continue his career despite missing an entire season adds to his longevity. Remember, John was an Opening Day starter in 1966 and 1989, which tells everything you need to know about how long his career was.
It wasn’t a Hall of Fame career, however, as it took John 26 seasons to rack up 288 wins, third most among pitchers outside of Cooperstown.
Cap Anson, 27 seasons
Cap Anson was one of the first true superstars in the majors, not to mention he had one of the longest baseball careers. He played 27 seasons from 1871-1897 while spending more than a decade at the end of his career as a player/manager.
Anson spent most of his career with what is now known as the Cubs. He still holds many of the franchise’s records. He was a 1st baseman & a solid hitter, batting.
He had three hundred thirty-four for his career & won two batting titles.
Give Anson a little praise, though. On several occasions, he refused to play with black players and became an influential figure in segregated baseball until Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier 50 years after Anson’s final season.
Nolan Ryan has 27 seasons
By today’s standards, Nolan Ryan’s 27 seasons in the majors are miraculous. He had the longest MLB career and was a powerhouse pitcher who regularly threw over 100 mph in his prime.
There are plenty of examples of hard pitchers who flame out quickly or cannot get a batter out once their velocity drops. But the last pitch of Ryan’s career came at 98 mph, and it was at age 46.
Ryan made his debut in September 1966 and his last start in September 1993. He ended up tearing his ACL in what was supposed to be his final season, cutting short his two career starts. Beyond that, Ryan was a physical prodigy, pitching for 27 seasons and throwing seven no-hitters, both MLB records.
His longevity also helped Ryan set several other records that may never be broken, including 5,714 career strikeouts.
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