Jacob deGrom, David Ortiz and MLB's 25 Biggest Late-Bloomers of the Last 25 Years
There is a relatively common developmental curve in Major League Baseball that sees players establish themselves in the big leagues sometime around their age-24 season and reach their peak sometime around their age-27 campaign.
However, not all player development is linear.
Slugger Jose Bautista is among the most memorable examples of a late-blooming star, as he went form an unheralded utility player to a 54-homer slugger during his age-29 season with the Toronto Blue Jays.
Ahead we've selected the 25 biggest late-bloomers of the last 25 years, focusing on players who fell behind the developmental curve, but eventually made up for lost time with a surprising breakout in their late-20s or into their 30s in some cases.
To be considered for inclusion, a player's breakthrough season had to come in 2000 or later, and narrowing the list to just 25 names proved trickier than expected so let's start things off with some honorable mentions.
Honorable Mentions
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Honorable Mentions
SP Bronson Arroyo
IF Matt Carpenter
SP Carlos Carrasco
SP Mike Clevinger
SS Carlos Guillen
SP Merrill Kelly
SP Dallas Keuchel
SP Michael King
C Paul Lo Duca
SP Esteban Loaiza
SP/RP Derek Lowe
OF Ryan Ludwick
SP Seth Lugo
DH J.D. Martinez
2B Jeff McNeil
IF Melvin Mora
SP Charlie Morton
2B Daniel Murphy
3B Phil Nevin
SP Carl Pavano
RP Fernando Rodney
SP Jason Schmidt
2B Dan Uggla
Breakthrough Season Came Before 2000
SP Randy Johnson (1996)
SP Jamie Moyer (1997)
OF Brian Giles (1999)
SP Jake Arrieta
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Breakout Age: 28 (2014)
Right-hander Jake Arrieta was a Top 100 prospect prior to the 2009 and 2010 seasons as a member of the Orioles organization, but he never found any level of consistent success in Baltimore, logging a 5.46 ERA in 358 innings over four seasons.
He was traded to the Cubs along with reliever Pedro Strop at the 2013 deadline in exchange for Scott Feldman and Steve Clevenger, and the change of scenery had an immediate impact as he posted a 3.66 ERA in nine starts after the trade.
The following year he went 10-5 with a 2.53 ERA and 167 strikeouts in 156.2 innings to finish ninth in NL Cy Young balloting, and that laid the foundation for him to take home the hardware in 2015 and help lead the Cubs to a World Series in 2016.
OF Jose Bautista
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Breakout Age: 29 (2010)
José Bautista had already suited up for the Orioles, Rays, Royals and Pirates by the time he was traded to the Blue Jays in a 2008 August waiver deal, tallying minus-2.9 WAR in 441 games serving in a utility role.
He logged a 99 OPS+ with 13 home runs in 113 games the following year before exploding for one of the most out-of-nowhere power surges in MLB history, launching an AL-leading 54 home runs with a 164 OPS+ and 124 RBI in 2010.
That earned him the first of six straight All-Star selections, and he again led the AL with 43 bombs in 2011. All told, he posted a 136 OPS+ with 288 home runs and 38.4 WAR over a decade-long stretch in Toronto.
OF Lorenzo Cain
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Breakout Age: 28 (2014)
At the time of the trade, young shortstop Alcides Escobar was the headliner in a four-player package that the Royals received when they traded ace Zack Greinke to the Brewers prior to the 2011 season.
However, it was outfielder Lorenzo Cain who ended up being the prize of the trade, and his MLB career was also just getting underway after he hit .306/.348/.415 for a 105 OPS+ with 2.0 WAR in 43 games.
After hitting .257/.312/.372 in 709 plate appearances over his first three seasons in Kansas City, he broke through with a 4.4-WAR season in 2014 before logging a career-high 6.9 WAR in 2015 while helping the Royals win a World Series title. During the six-year run that started with his breakout 2014 campaign, he piled up 29.2 WAR with two All-Star selections and a Gold Glove win.
SP Chris Carpenter
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Breakout Age: 29 (2004)
The Blue Jays selected Chris Carpenter with the No. 15 overall pick in the 1993 draft, making him the third high school pitcher taken in that draft class behind Kirk Presley (No. 8, NYM) and Matt Drews (No. 13, NYY) who both failed to reach the majors.
He made his MLB debut at 22 years old and became a regular in the Toronto rotation the following year, but he was a slightly below-average pitcher throughout his time with the team, logging a 4.83 ERA and 98 ERA+ over 135 starts and 870.2 innings.
The Cardinals signed him in free agency ahead of a 2003 season that was spent recovering from shoulder surgery, and their patience paid off when he returned to go 15-5 with a 3.46 ERA in 182 innings to win 2004 NL Comeback Player of the Year. He followed that up with 2005 NL Cy Young honors and ended up with a 3.07 ERA and 133 ERA+ in 1,348.2 innings in a Cardinals uniform.
DH Nelson Cruz
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Breakout Age: 28 (2009)
The transaction log for Nelson Cruz prior to his breakout 2009 season with the Rangers reads like the prototypical MLB journeyman:
Feb. 17, 1998: Signs with Mets as an amateur free agent.
Aug. 30, 2000: Traded to Athletics for IF Jorge Velandia.
Dec. 16, 2004: Traded to Brewers with RP Justin Lehr for IF Keith Ginter.
July 26, 2006: Traded to Rangers with OF Carlos Lee for OF Kevin Mench, RP Francisco Cordero, OF Laynce Nix, RP Julian Cordero.
It was still another two and a half years in the Rangers organization before he slugged 33 home runs and earned an All-Star selection during his breakout 2009 season. He was then a key run producer for the Rangers back-to-back AL pennant winners in 2010 and 2011.
He went on to hit 464 career home runs, despite having just 22 long balls entering his age-28 season.
SP Jacob deGrom
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Breakout Age: 26 (2014)
Jacob deGrom was roughly a month shy of his 26th birthday when he made his MLB debut on May 15, 2014, and he ended up running away with 2014 NL Rookie of the Year honors with a 2.69 ERA, 1.14 WHIP and 144 strikeouts in 140.1 innings.
While that makes him younger than most players on this list, the out-of-nowhere nature of that performance is part of the reason he qualifies as a late-bloomer, as he was never a leaguewide Top 100 prospect and ranked No. 10 in the Mets system heading into his stellar rookie campaign.
That performance proved to be just the start for a pitcher who would develop into one of the most dominant arms of his generation, winning back-to-back NL Cy Young awards in 2018 and 2019 and finishing in the top 10 in balloting four other times.
SP R.A. Dickey
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Breakout Age: 35 (2010)
The No. 18 overall pick in the 1996 draft out of the University of Tennessee, R.A. Dickey looked like a complete bust six years into his big league career.
In 33 starts and 44 relief appearances for the Rangers, he logged a 5.72 ERA and 87 ERA+ over 266 innings, and that was followed by one-year stints with the Brewers, Mariners and Twins before he joined the Mets on a minor league deal on Dec. 21, 2009.
His breakthrough season came in 2010 (11-9, 2.84 ERA, 174.1 IP) thanks to a refined knuckleball becoming his go-to pitch, and after another strong season in 2011 (8-13, 3.28 ERA, 208.2 IP), he took home 2012 NL Cy Young honors when he finished 20-6 with a 2.73 ERA, 1.05 WHIP and 230 strikeouts in 233.2 innings. The Mets sold high that winter, trading him to the Blue Jays in a deal that sent Noah Syndergaard the other way.
3B Josh Donaldson
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Breakout Age: 27 (2013)
Originally drafted as a catcher by the Cubs with the No. 48 overall pick in the 2007 draft, Josh Donaldson was traded to Oakland as part of a four-player package to acquire Rich Harden at the 2008 deadline.
He made his MLB debut in 2010 and hit a middling .241/.289/.398 over 294 plate appearances during his first extended MLB action in 2012, but everything clicked the following year when he took over as the team's starting third baseman and posted a 145 OPS+ with 37 doubles, 24 home runs, 93 RBI and 7.2 WAR.
That was the first of four straight 6-WAR seasons, though just two of those came with the Athletics as he was traded to the Blue Jays prior to the 2015 season. He promptly won AL MVP honors in his first season in Toronto, logging a 151 OPS+ with 41 doubles, 41 home runs, 123 RBI and 122 runs scored.
DH Edwin Encarnacion
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Breakout Age: 29 (2012)
Edwin Encarnación began his MLB career as a hyped prospect for the Reds, debuting as a 22-year-old who checked in No. 56 on the Top 100 prospect list at the start of the season.
He showed some playable pop early on, including a 26-homer season in 2008, but poor defense at third base left him as a roughly league-average player and he was sent to the Blue Jays in exchange for veteran Scott Rolen at the 2009 trade deadline.
After posting a modest 3.3 WAR in 272 games during his first three years in Toronto, he exploded with a 153 OPS+ and 42 home runs during the 2012 season. That kicked off a run of eight straight seasons with at least 30 homers, and he ultimately finished with far more long balls in his 30s (265) than he had in his 20s (159).
OF Alex Gordon
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Breakout Age: 27 (2011)
Alex Gordon was the No. 2 overall pick in the 2005 draft and the everyday third baseman for the Royals to start the 2007 season, but after compiling a lackluster 95 OPS+ and 4.6 WAR through 408 games he looked like a bust entering the 2011 campaign.
He made the full-time shift to left field for the 2011 season and took home his first of eight Gold Glove Awards that year while also breaking through at the plate with a .303/.376/.502 line that included 43 doubles, 23 home runs and 87 RBI en route to a 7.3-WAR season.
He ended up spending his entire 14-year career in Kansas City, helping the team to an AL pennant in 2014 and a World Series title in 2015. His 34.9 WAR is good for the seventh-highest total in team history, and he stands as one of the most notable post-hype breakouts of the last 25 years.
DH Travis Hafner
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Breakout Age: 27 (2004)
His peak performance came at an age when most players are already established in the big leagues, and it only lasted for three seasons before he took a step backward, but for that brief window Travis Hafner was one of the most feared sluggers in baseball.
2004: 162 OPS+, .311/.410/.583, 72 XBH (28 HR), 109 RBI, 5.0 WAR
2005: 168 OPS+, .305/.408/.595, 75 XBH (33 HR), 108 RBI, 5.4 WAR
2006: 181 OPS+, .308/.439/.659, 74 XBH (42 HR), 117 RBI, 5.9 WAR
Originally drafted by the Rangers, Hafner was acquired in an under-the-radar deal during the 2002-03 offseason that saw him traded alongside pitcher Aaron Myette in exchange for backup catcher Einar Diaz and pitcher Ryan Drese.
His star faded quickly, but he was essentially Jim Thome 2.0 for those three seasons while starring alongside Grady Sizemore in the Cleveland lineup.
OF Josh Hamilton
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Breakout Age: 27 (2008)
Josh Hamilton is not the traditional late-bloomer, as it was not simply a matter of getting his on-field performance together, but also navigating alcohol and cocaine addiction that landed him on baseball's suspended list for three years in his early 20s.
The No. 1 overall pick in the 1999 draft resurfaced with the Reds in 2007 after he was selected in the Rule 5 draft, and after he posted a 131 OPS+ with 19 home runs in 90 games that year in his first MLB action, he was traded to the Rangers in exchange for Edinson Vólquez.
He hit .304/.371/.530 with 32 home runs and an AL-leading 130 RBI in 2008, won AL MVP honors in 2010, and all told hit 142 home runs and racked up 22.5 WAR with five All-Star selections and three Silver Sluggers during his initial five-year run in Texas.
SP Rich Hill
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Breakout Age: 36 (2016)
An argument could be made that Rich Hill broke out during his age-27 season in 2007 when he finished 11-8 with a 3.92 ERA, 1.20 WHIP and 183 strikeouts in 195 innings and started Game 3 of the NLDS for a Cubs team that won a division title.
However, in the eight years that followed he never pitched more than 57.2 innings in a season while suiting up for six different teams, nine if you include his brief stint with the Long Island Ducks in the independent league in 2015.
He resurfaced in 2016 with the Athletics and posted a 2.25 ERA, 1.09 WHIP and 90 strikeouts in 76 innings over 14 starts before he was traded along with Josh Reddick to the Dodgers at the deadline, and he closed out the year with a 1.83 ERA in six starts for Los Angeles.
That earned him a new three-year, $48 million deal from the Dodgers in free agency, and he logged his 20th season in the big leagues in 2024 with four appearances out of the Red Sox bullpen as a 44-year-old.
OF Raul Ibanez
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Breakout Age: 30 (2002)
Raúl Ibañez made his MLB debut with the Mariners as a 24-year-old in 1996, but it was not until the 2001 season that he logged 300 plate appearances for the first time after joining the Royals in free agency.
The following year he put together a true breakout season in his age-30 campaign, hitting .294/.346/.537 with 37 doubles, 24 home runs and 103 RBI in 137 games.
That was the start of a 12-year stretch where he posted a 116 OPS+ and averaged 32 doubles, 23 home runs, 89 RBI and 1.8 WAR per season, earning down-ballot MVP votes three times and his lone All-Star selection in 2009 as a 37-year-old with the Phillies.
SP Corey Kluber
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Breakout Age: 28 (2014)
Corey Kluber was traded before ever making his MLB debut, going from San Diego to Cleveland in the three-team deal that also sent Ryan Ludwick to the Padres and Jake Westbrook to the Cardinals.
He became a regular in the Cleveland rotation for the first time in 2013, finishing 11-5 with a 3.85 ERA, 1.26 WHIP and 136 strikeouts in 147.1 innings, but that gave little indication of what was to come in the years that followed.
In the five years that followed, he went 83-45 with a 2.85 ERA, 1.02 WHIP and 1,228 strikeouts in 1,091.1 innings. He won AL Cy Young in 2014 and 2017, while finishing in the top-10 in voting three other times during that impressive peak, though an equally abrupt fall-off followed his rise to stardom.
2B/OF Whit Merrifield
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Breakout Age: 28 (2017)
Whit Merrifield was a ninth-round pick in the 2010 draft who never appeared among the Royals top 30 prospects during his time in the minors, making him one of the more unlikely three-time All-Stars in recent memory.
After a productive 81-game audition as a utility man in 2016, he saw full-time action for the first time the following year and hit .288/.324/.460 with 32 doubles, 19 home runs, 78 RBI and an AL-leading 34 steals.
Over his first five full seasons in the majors, he hit .292/.338/.438 fora. 107 OPS+ while leading the league in hits twice, doubles once, triples once and steals three times. In the window between their 2015 World Series title and the rise of Bobby Witt Jr., he was the face of the franchise for the Royals.
RP Andrew Miller
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Breakout Age: 29 (2014)
Left-hander Andrew Miller was the No. 6 overall pick in the 2006 draft out of the University of North Carolina, and two months after he was selected he made his MLB debut for the Tigers.
Two years later, he was traded to the Marlins along with five other players in the blockbuster deal to acquire Miguel Cabrera and Dontrelle Willis, though he managed just a 5.89 ERA in 220 innings over three years in Miami.
After another forgettable season in the Red Sox rotation in 2011, he moved to the bullpen in 2012 and quickly emerged as a lights-out reliever. He peaked during the 2016 season when he logged a 1.45 ERA, 0.69 WHIP and 14.9 K/9 in 70 appearances, helping lead Cleveland to the World Series that fall.
IF Max Muncy
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Breakout Age: 27 (2018)
After hitting .195/.290/.321 over 245 plate appearances with the Athletics in 2015 and 2016, Max Muncy was released on March 31, 2017, leaving his future in the big leagues in question.
The Dodgers scooped him up a month later with a minor league deal, and after spending the entire 2017 season at Triple-A, he came out of nowhere with a 35-homer, 4.3-WAR campaign in 2018.
Now in his eighth season with the Dodgers, he has racked up a 127 OPS+ with 199 home runs and 25.8 WAR during his time with the team, and his defensive versatility allowed him to transition from first base to third base following the addition of Freddie Freeman in free agency.
RP Joe Nathan
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Breakout Age: 29 (2004)
After breaking into the majors with the Giants as a starter in 1999 and 2000, Joe Nathan shifted to the bullpen and put together a solid 2003 season at the age of 28, posting a 2.96 ERA, 1.06 WHIP and 9.5 K/9 over 78 appearances.
That offseason, he traded along with Francisco Liriano and Boof Bonser to the Twins in exchange for catcher A.J. Pierzynski, and he immediately stepped into the closer's role in Minnesota.
He tallied 44 saves in his Twins debut, finishing fourth in AL Cy Young balloting, and over his first six seasons in Minnesota he piled up 246 saves and earned four All-Star selections. Despite entering his age-29 season with only one career save, he finished his 16-year run in the majors with 377 saves, good for 10th on the all-time list.
DH David Ortiz
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Breakout Age: 27 (2003)
Hall of Fame slugger David Ortiz spent his first six seasons in the majors as a member of the Twins, showing some solid power potential but never truly breaking out while posting a 108 OPS+ and 2.6 WAR in 455 games.
The Twins released him rather than give him a raise from $950,000 to a projected $2 million for the 2003 season, and a month later he caught on with the Red Sox where he immediately became a star.
He posted a 144 OPS+ with 31 home runs and 101 RBI to finish fifth in AL MVP voting in his Red Sox debut, and the following year he was instrumental in delivering Boston's first World Series title in 86 years.
In 14 years with the Red Sox, he posted a 148 OPS+ with 483 home runs, 1,530 RBI and 52.5 WAR while winning three World Series titles and punching his ticket to Cooperstown.
DH Brent Rooker
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Breakout Age: 28 (2023)
The Twins selected Brent Rooker with the No. 35 overall pick in the 2017 draft after he hit .387/.495/.810 with 30 doubles, 23 home runs and 82 RBI during his junior season at Mississippi State.
He flashed playable power throughout his time in the minors, but hit just .201/.291/.397 over 213 plate appearances in his first extended MLB action in 2021, and the Twins traded him to the Padres as part of a deal that also included Taylor Rogers, Chris Paddack and Emilio Pagan.
After unsuccessful stints with the Padres and Royals, he was claimed off waivers by the Athletics on Nov. 17, 2022. A breakout 2023 season (127 OPS+, 30 HR) and an even better 2024 campaign (165 OPS+, 39 HR, 112 RBI) earned him a five-year, $60 million extension this past offseason, and now in his age-30 season he is one of the best run producers in baseball.
3B Justin Turner
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Breakout Age: 29 (2014)
After a brief stint with the Orioles and three semi-productive seasons as a utility infielder for the Mets, Justin Turner was non-tendered at the start of the 2013-14 offseason. At the time, he had a 92 OPS+ and 0.6 WAR in 318 career games, and he had just turned 29 years old.
The Dodgers brought him aboard on a minor league deal, and he steadily played his way into a regular role as the 2014 season unfolded, ultimately hitting .340/.404/.493 with 29 extra-base hits and 4.1 WAR in 109 games.
The following year he took over as the team's primary third baseman, and in parts of nine seasons with the Dodgers he logged a 133 OPS+ with 156 home runs, 34.6 WAR, a pair of All-Star selections and a fantastic resume of clutch hitting in the postseason.
OF Jayson Werth
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Breakout Age: 28 (2007)
Jayson Werth spent time with the Orioles, Blue Jays and Dodgers before joining the Phillies on a one-year, $850,000 deal prior to the 2006 season, and it was only after he made his way to Philadelphia that he lived up to being the No. 22 overall pick in the 1997 draft.
He spent his first year in Philadelphia serving as a fourth outfielder behind Pat Burrell, Aaron Rowand and Shane Victorino, posting a 120 OPS+ and 3.0 WAR in 94 games.
He moved into the starting lineup the following year after Rowand walked in free agency, and posted a 122 OPS+ with 24 home runs and 20 steals for a Phillies team that went on to win the World Series. His run in Philadelphia lasted just four years, but he did enough in that short time to earn a seven-year, $126 million deal from the Nationals when he finally reached free agency.
1B Kevin Youkilis
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Breakout Age: 27 (2006)
Kevin Youkilis never hit more than eight home runs in a season during his time in the minors, but consistently logged an on-base percentage well north of .400, which helped make him the nickname "The Greek God of Walks" in the famed baseball novel Moneyball.
After seeing 116 games worth of action in the majors in 2004 and 2005, he finally got a shot at a full-time gig during the 2006 season, and he responded by hitting .279/.381/.429 with 42 doubles, 13 home runs, 72 RBI and 2.7 WAR.
That was the beginning of a six-year stretch that saw him post a 130 OPS+ and .392 on-base percentage while averaging 36 doubles, 20 home runs, 84 RBI and 4.9 WAR. He was a three-time All-Star and finished in the top-10 in AL MVP voting twice during that late-blooming peak.
2B/OF Ben Zobrist
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Breakout Age: 28 (2009)
Ben Zobrist hit .200 with a 33 OPS+ and minus-1.7 WAR over 83 games during his first two seasons in the majors, but showed signs of bigger things to come with a 120 OPS+ in 227 plate appearances during the 2008 season.
The following year, he led the AL with 8.6 WAR in 152 games, logging a 149 OPS+ with 28 doubles, 27 home runs and 91 RBI while starting at least one game at every position on the diamond besides catcher and pitcher.
That stellar breakout campaign helped legitimize the idea of a super-utility player who is in the lineup everyday despite not having a primary position. Zobrist went on to tally 44.7 WAR and 1,566 hits over a 14-year career, earning three All-Star selections and winning two World Series rings, including one with the 2016 Cubs when he claimed World Series MVP honors.
