Yu Darvish
The ageless wonder is having the last laugh. At 40, Darvish continues defying Father Time with a fastball that still touches the mid-90s and a slider that remains one of baseball's most devastating pitches. His 2020 Cy Young runner-up campaign with the Cubs proved he could still dominate at the highest level, posting a microscopic 2.01 ERA.
What makes Darvish's longevity remarkable isn't just the raw numbers — it's the sustained excellence across cultures and decades. His 2,075 career strikeouts speak to a pitcher who has consistently missed bats through multiple phases of his career, from his Texas Rangers debut through his current tenure.
The five All-Star selections tell only part of the story. Darvish has maintained an above-average ERA+ of 118 throughout his MLB career, adapting his arsenal as his body aged. His peak ERA+ of 221 shows he could still reach elite heights well into his 30s.
Career · Hitting
13 seasons| Year | Team | G | AB | HR | RBI | AVG | OPS | OPS+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | TEX | 29 | 3 | 0 | 0 | .333 | .667 | 92 |
| 2013 | TEX | 32 | 3 | 0 | 0 | .000 | .000 | 0 |
| 2014 | TEX | 22 | 5 | 0 | 0 | .200 | .600 | 86 |
| 2016 | TEX | 17 | 3 | 1 | 1 | .333 | 1.667 | 226 |
| 2017 | LAD | 31 | 17 | 0 | 0 | .059 | .170 | 23 |
| 2018 | CHC | 8 | 12 | 0 | 0 | .083 | .250 | 34 |
| 2019 | CHC | 31 | 56 | 0 | 3 | .089 | .208 | 27 |
| 2020 | CHC | 12 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — |
| 2021 | SD | 30 | 53 | 0 | 1 | .094 | .243 | 33 |
| 2022 | SD | 30 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — |
| 2023 | SD | 24 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — |
| 2024 | SD | 16 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — |
| 2025 | SD | 15 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — |
| Career | 297 | 152 | 1 | 5 | .099 | — | — | |
Career · Pitching
13 seasons| Year | Team | G | IP | W | L | ERA | ERA+ | SO | WHIP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | TEX | 29 | 191.3 | 16 | 9 | 3.90 | 103 | 221 | 1.280 |
| 2013 | TEX | 32 | 209.7 | 13 | 9 | 2.83 | 136 | 277 | 1.073 |
| 2014 | TEX | 22 | 144.3 | 10 | 7 | 3.06 | 122 | 182 | 1.261 |
| 2016 | TEX | 17 | 100.3 | 7 | 5 | 3.41 | 123 | 132 | 1.116 |
| 2017 | TEX | 31 | 186.7 | 10 | 12 | 3.86 | 113 | 209 | 1.163 |
| 2018 | CHC | 8 | 40.0 | 1 | 3 | 4.95 | 84 | 49 | 1.425 |
| 2019 | CHC | 31 | 178.7 | 6 | 8 | 3.98 | 113 | 229 | 1.097 |
| 2020 | CHC | 12 | 76.0 | 8 | 3 | 2.01 | 221 | 93 | 0.961 |
| 2021 | SD | 30 | 166.3 | 8 | 11 | 4.22 | 101 | 199 | 1.094 |
| 2022 | SD | 30 | 194.7 | 16 | 8 | 3.10 | 128 | 197 | 0.950 |
| 2023 | SD | 24 | 136.3 | 8 | 10 | 4.56 | 95 | 141 | 1.298 |
| 2024 | SD | 16 | 81.7 | 7 | 3 | 3.31 | 123 | 78 | 1.065 |
| 2025 | SD | 15 | 72.0 | 5 | 5 | 5.38 | 77 | 68 | 1.181 |
| Career | 297 | 1778.0 | 115 | 93 | — | — | 2075 | — | |
Matchups, projections, comps — grounded in Lahman, Retrosheet, and Statcast.