justbaseball posted:infielddad gave some good insights.
I have season tix to a AAA team. I sit right behind home plate. The physical maturity you can see with your naked eye between the 1st round, 21-year old and the 28-year old is sometimes significant. But just as important is the mental maturity.
infielddad's Randy Johnson example is a great one. The older players can pick apart a swing...or a pitch delivery much faster than a younger one.
But is that a factor in the progression through the system? Do they care about that? Wouldn't older players therefore have a distinct advantage over younger players throughout the spectrum of a career (until physical skills clearly diminish) and therefore the older players coveted by the coach (college/pro). We already see that in players who are held back a year (or longer) in HS to gain a physical advantage. Just wondering if that continues to propagate as that players continues through their career in your opinion?