How Steroids May Have Led to Bizarre MLB Season

Looking at the MLB standings this final week of May, the casual fan would find it impossible to resist doing a double-take.

The Rays and Marlins are in first place. The Yankees and Tigers are in last. That story has been beaten to death. Also of note is that the Rays and Marlins are among the two youngest teams in the league, while the Yankees and Tigers are among the two oldest. That story has also been beaten to death.

But if you look further in the standings, it is noticeable that older, veteran teams around the league seem to be under-performing all-around this season. While this may be an aberration, there could be a hidden reason for such performances.

The Red Sox are the second-oldest team in the league, and yet are among the best teams in baseball. They are, however, led by some young guns, Clay Buchholz and Jon Lester—both of whom have thrown no-hitters in the recent past.

Colorado is the fourth-youngest team in the league but is following up their World Series appearance with a major stinker of a season. They, however, have major injuries at almost every star position.

To the point, youth and veteran savvy can only go so far to explain what is going on this season. What may be a more sinister and interesting explanation for this season could lie back in the steroids era.

What every of the veteran teams listed above that is massively underperforming has in common is that there are a number of household baseball names on their rosters who are vastly underperforming.

Interestingly, there could be a reason for these teams being in such a predicament.

Throughout the steroid era, there were a number of players who were suspected of taking steroids or HGH, or who admitted to taking such drugs that experienced late-career resurgences or career years.

Over time, this led to some players receiving contracts in the later stages of their careers that players would normally receive when they were entering their typical late-20s prime.

Players suspected of using steroids such as Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens experienced some of their best seasons in their late-30s, a time when the typical player begins to break down and suffer from worsening numbers and production.

Bonds and Clemens, whether they took steroids or not, were not the only players who experienced late career revitalization during the Steroids Era. There were a number of players who had career years that came out of the blue, or who experienced steady numbers in their late-30s instead of declining returns.

Many teams saw these heady numbers and turned a blind eye to what may have been occurring under the subtext. They focused on the fact these players were keeping in shape and having great numbers later in their career. These teams also saw players who had proven themselves time and time again, and now were so reliable that signing them to long, expensive contracts seemed like a great idea. These were players who were sure not to disappoint.

And for years, teams may have been rewarded. Late-career peaks became the norm. Whether these players took steroids or other performance enhancers has yet to be shown. Undoubtedly, some did take such drugs to boost their performance and then parlay such production into big, long-term contracts.

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