After fans demanded to “let the kids play”, it looks like the Royals are going with a lineup full of youngsters in 2023. The Royals could be days the Royals start as many as eight players in their age-26 season or younger - Kyle Isbel (26), Nate Eaton (26), Michael Massey (25), Vinnie Pasquantino (25), MJ Melendez (24), Nick Pratto (24), Drew Waters (24), and Bobby Witt Jr. (23).
Is going so young necessarily a recipe for future success? I went and looked for teams in the past that featured lineups with at least seven hitters in their age-26 season or younger with at least 300 plate appearances that season.