Late-Inning Hitters

Seattle’s Edgar Martinez is moving up the list of career hits and home runs for players who did not play their first full season until after age 26 (no 100-game seasons until age 27):

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Batter 1st year (Age) Hits Maury Wills 1960 (27) 2,134 Hal McRae 1973 (27) 2,091 Minnie Minoso 1951 (28) 1,963 Jim Gantner 1980 (27) 1,696 Davey Lopes 1973 (28) 1,671 Bill Bruton 1953 (27) 1,651 Frank Malzone 1957 (27) 1,486 Elston Howard 1957 (28) 1,471 Edgar Martinez 1990 (27) 1,430 Brady Anderson 1991 (27) 1,312 Lee Lacy 1975 (27) 1,303

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Martinez ranks seventh for most career home runs by players who did not play their first full season until after age 26 (no 100-game seasons until age 27):

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Batter 1st year (Age) HRs Mickey Tettleton 1989 (28) 245 Gus Zernial 1950 (27) 237 Leon Wagner 1961 (27) 211 Cliff Johnson 1975 (27) 196 Hal McRae 1973 (27) 191 Minnie Minoso 1951 (28) 186 Edgar Martinez 1990 (27) 181 Elston Howard 1957 (28) 167 Jim Lemon 1956 (28) 164 Brady Anderson 1991 (27) 164

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Research by HOUSTON MITCHELL / Los Angeles Times