What is player aging?

When players age (at the end of each season), their ratings can go up and down based on a number of factors. One of those factors is a player's age. Each rating has a target "peak" and "decline" age, meaning that for each given rating, the average player (under perfectly average conditions) would peak at a certain age, and decline at another age. (The peak age is always less than the decline age.)

The player aging tables are the tables which define what the peak age is for each rating, and what the decline age is for each rating.

What exactly does peak and decline mean?

Each player has a potential rating (the highest rating he can achieve) and a current or actual rating (the rating he has at this point in his career). The peak age is the approximate age where a player's actual rating should develop to the point where it equals the potential rating. The decline age is the approximate age where a player's actual rating should start declining below the potential rating.

What else is factored in to aging?

Quite a bit, actually. Not all players develop and decline equally (some develop faster, and some slower). Some players are late bloomers (peak later than the average player), and some players reach their peaks earlier than others. Your team's investment in development and drills can help a player reach his peak more quickly or offset his decline. Finally, there's the gods of dice -- random factors.

How did you come up with the new peak and decline numbers -- and what are they?

I did an extensive analysis of players from 1921 to 2000, using various criteris to understand where the typical Major League Baseball player peaks and declines in different categories. Some of the results were surprising different from my personal perspective (which defined the original peak/decline ages). I took the numerical analysis, along with plenty of research and feedback, to come up with new numbers for each rating.

• Batting Ratings
• Discipline will peak in the early 30's and decline in the late 30's. The changes from the current ages are minimal.
• Contact will peak in the early 30's and decline in the late 30's, slightly before Discipline. Expect players to hold on to their Contact slightly longer than in the current system.
• Batting will peak in the late 20's and decline in the mid 30's. Expect players to hold on to their Batting longer than in the current season.
• Slugging will peak in the early 30s and decline in the late 30's. These changes are a shift of about two years favoring older players, so expect players to have their peak power seasons later in their 20's and early 30's, and to hold on to that power longer than they used to.
• Speed peaks in the early 20's and declines after the mid 20's. Not a major change from the current system
• Pitching Ratings
• Power peaks in the mid 20's and declines in the mid 30's. Power pitchers will now strike out batters farther into their career than they currently do.
• Finesse peaks in the late 20's and declines in the mid 30's. Not a major change from the current system.
• Control peaks in the early 30's and declines in the late 30's. Expect pitchers to hold on to their Control longer than they do now.
• Specialty peaks in the early 30's and declines in the late 30's to early 40's. The changes to Speciality were not driven by any statistics; Speciality is intended to be something unusual and special, and helps to reflect the experience of a pitcher. As a result, Specialty can become more valuable to older pitchers than it is now.
• Hold Runner peaks in the mid 20's and declines in the mid 30's. A pitcher's move to first (which affects stolen base attempt frequency and success) will develop later and last longer than previously.
• Fielding Ratings
• Range will peak in the early 30's and decline in the mid 30's. Range will peak much later than it does now, and will last somewhat longer into a player's career.
• Glove will peak in the early 30's and decline in the late 30's. Glove will peak much later than it does now, and will last much longer into a player's career.
• Arm will peak in the mid- to late 20's and decline in the mid 30's. Arm will peak and decline a bit later than it does in the current system.
• Other Ratings
• Endurance will peak in the mid 20's and declinein the mid 30's. This will result in player's Endurance peaking slightly earlier and lasting slightly longer than in the current system.

When will the changes impact my current players?

The impact will occur the next time a player ages. All future aging will be done with the new aging table. Current ratings for players will not change -- so if a player is at his peak when he shouldn't be based on the new aging table, there will not be any changes. Overall the changes will be gradually felt over the course of seasons, as existing players age and new players come in to the game.