MLB standings by average roster age: Can young talent save the White Sox?

In the dynamic world of Major League Baseball, the debate between the importance of youthful energy and veteran savvy is often discussed. Stars like Paul Skenes coming straight from college and being big-league ready pose a major threat to those who have been around a while, but how much does lack of experience hurt youngsters as they get started in their careers?

The youngest team in the league, at an average age of 26.5, is the Chicago White Sox, a team that has had a historically bad season thus far. On the other side of the same coin we have the Atlanta Braves, with an average age of 31.3, nearly five whole years older on average the White Sox. The Braves sent eight players to the All-Star game in 2023 and sit at a comfy 80-67 thus far in 2024. It is safe to say these two teams are polar opposites.

Is this trend something we see all over baseball? Are the older players leading their teams to the playoffs? As teams vie for a shot for the top spots with the post-season quickly approaching, we'll take a look at which group has more of an influence on a team's roster.

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MLB Standings ordered by average roster age this season

AL East

The AL East is a tried-and-true example of the experience of elder players propelling teams. The New York Yankees and Baltimore Orioles respectively boast the highest average ages in the division. Likewise, they also boast the two highest records in the division, with the Yankees holding the top spot at 86-62 and the Orioles not far behind at three games back.

With that being said, the other three teams in the division have very middle-of-the-road records, and they have a wide range of average age with the Tampa Bay Rays being over an entire year younger than the Toronto Blue Jays.

AL Central

The AL Central gives us a lot of insight on whether youthfulness is more influential in team success. The Chicago White Sox boast an incredibly unimpressive record of 33-115, a number that would make any White Sox fan wince. While there are many factors to the team's lack of success this season, it is interesting to note that the White Sox not only boast the youngest average team age in the AL Central, but also the youngest average team age in the entirety of the MLB - not a good look for the young guys.

On the contrary, the Kansas City Royals have the highest average team age in the AL Central and they are currently only three games back of top spot.

While it's out of the question this year, it will be interesting to see if the young talent with the White Sox can develop into smarter players in years to come and hopefully give some life to a desperate fanbase.

AL West

The AL West as a division overall has been pretty weak this year. However, we can still see the same trend noticed previously with the younger teams seeming to trail the older, more experienced ones.

The Los Angeles Angels are the caboose of the division and also boast the youngest average age. Being just the third youngest team in the league seems to have led them astray this season as they lag 27 games behind .500.

The division leading Houston Astros also back up the trend we've seen so far being the oldest team in the division by a decent margin, the team itself is over three years older on average than the Angels. It's clear the experienced guys have the number in the AL West this year.

NL East

The NL East offers a mix of youth and experience, but the seasoned squads are again our front-runners. The Washington Nationals, with an average age of just 26.7, are the youngest in the division. This again however, hasn't translated into much success on the field, as they sit at a disappointing 66-81.

The Atlanta Braves with the oldest average age in the entire MLB at 31.3, are holding their own with a solid 80-67 record. They sit just one game back of the New York Mets who are also aging gracefully at 30.6 on average.

The Philadelphia Phillies seem to be our first trend breaker, being middle of the pack in age compared to both their division and the rest of the MLB, however they are cruising at a dominating 88-59.

NL Central

The NL Central is an interesting case where the trend we've seen isn't as clear-cut. The relatively young Milwaukee Brewers, with an average age of 28.7, have a significant lead over the rest of the division at 85-62.

Meanwhile, the St. Louis Cardinals, the oldest team in the division at 30.4, are sitting just above .500 with a 74-73 record. While their experience has kept them competitive, it hasn't propelled them to the top as it has in other divisions. The NL Central proves that while experience is valuable it doesn't always directly translate to success.

NL West

The NL West is yet another example of the newcomers seeming to trail behind. The young Colorado Rockies hold an average age of only 26.9. This is again reflected in the lackluster record of 56-92, dead last in the division by a mile-long margin.

Then we have the Los Angeles Dodgers, all the rage of baseball and serious World Series contenders, who are ripening at the average age of 30.4. With over 30 more wins than the Rockies, it's clear that the experience that comes with age once again had the bead on the young bucks.