At age 45, ex-Michigan pitcher Rich Hill called up to Kansas City Royals

Baseball's oldest player is back in the majors.

Rich Hill, who has pitched in MLB every season since 2005, is expected to be called up by the Kansas City Royals at the age of 45, according to FanSided's Robert Murray. Hill became a professional in 2002 when the Chicago Cubs drafted him out of the University of Michigan, where he went 7-16 in three years (2000-02) as a pitcher for the Wolverines.

Hill's Michigan connection continued into his minor league career, where in 2003 he appeared in 15 games for the Single-A Lansing Lugnuts, pitching to a 2.76 ERA in 29⅓ innings.

Hill has played for 13 teams over 20 major league seasons, recording a 4.01 ERA over 1,409 career innings. Despite his longevity as a starting pitcher, he has never made an All-Star team.

If Hill enters a game for the Royals in 2025, he will become the oldest player to appear in an MLB game since Jamie Moyer (49) pitched for the Colorado Rockies in 2012.

Hill's old man status has become legendary in baseball circles. Only two active players debuted in baseball before the 2006 season: Hill and former Tigers legend Justin Verlander. Only six players over the age of 40 have appeared in an MLB game in 2025, and Hill is at least three years older than all of them.

He is the only active MLB player to have been drafted in the 1990s, though he chose to attend Michigan rather than going pro after the Cincinnati Reds drafted him in the 36th round of the 1995 amateur draft.

Tampa Bay Rays manager Kevin Cash, the longest-tenured manager in MLB, is one year younger than Hill. Scott Harris, the Detroit Tigers president of baseball operations, is seven years younger than Hill.

Hill has played with Greg Maddux (born in 1966) and Ceddanne Rafaela (born in 2000), who was born after Hill was first drafted. Atlanta Braves pitcher Didier Fuentes, who made his MLB debut on June 20, 2025, was born after Hill made his own MLB debut.

You can reach Christian at[email protected]

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Rich Hill age: Former Michigan pitcher called up to Royals at 45