[Big Six]

As the 1924 season ends, it's time to take a look at Pat's ratings once again.

He is now 37 years old, and his formidable abilities are beginning to show signs of age.

His Contact rating fell as low as 73 during the season, but then rebounded slightly to settle in at 75. This represents a loss of 13 points from his peak value. Pat can still get the bat on the ball more efficiently than most major leaguers, however.

Pat's power to the gaps remains robust, and he rates 90 in this category. As his career high was 95, he has lost very little of his value here.

Just as his Contact rating did, his Home Run Power score fell from 53 to 47, and then bounced back to 50. He has lost five points from his high mark of 55.

He can still control the strike zone with the best, as his Eye rating remains at its peak value of 102. His ability to Avoid Ks has slipped slightly, from 85 to 80.

A man who steals almost sixty bases during the season in which he turns 37 still has a good deal of Speed. While not the 93-point speedburner he was back in the day, Pat still can motor along at 75. His Stealing rating is also now at 75, down from 85. He has made up for the couple of steps he has lost with an even greater amount of baserunning savvy, as his Instincts score remains at 85.

Pat is not yet a liability afield, but with a Range rating currently at 41 and dropping, he will certainly end his career without a Slick Fielder Award in his trophy case. His ability to fill in at shortstop and at left field is almost completely gone, although he did appear in one game in left during the 1924 season.

Pat has so far aged very gracefully, remaining a significantly talented player at the close of his seventeenth full season in the major leagues. Players with Pat's skills set have historically aged pretty well, continuing to be valuable as they approach age 40, so Pat's career path makes sense to me. Barring a catastrophe, he should remain a key part of the Red Sox' plans for at least a year or two longer.