‘It crept up on me.’ ARod is 50 — and admits to a middle-age issue
Despite being an athlete most of his life, Alex Rodriguez is a lot like other middle-age folks.
The 50-year-old retired New York Yankee now wears reading glasses. Not that there’s anything wrong with that.
Starting at around age 40, many people’s eyes lose the ability to focus light clearly on the retina when looking at close objects. This is due to a condition called presbyopia, whose symptoms include blurriness, headaches and eye strain, according to the Cleveland Clinic.
There’s no shame in the aging game, though. Instead of hiding the fact that he had to seek outside help to fix the issue, the former baller is embracing his new status. He is a brand ambassador and investor in Look Optic, a Connecticut company whose chic readers definitely don’t look like the ones that dangled around your grandparents’ necks.
Out of the partnership comes the so-called No. 13 frame, a “refined, modern silhouette designed with versatility and everyday wear in mind,” reads the description. On the company’s Instagram page, ARod strikes a pose in the “bold, rectangular” style he helped design.
The No. 13 will be available shortly for online shoppers as readers, as well as progressives (which darken after going outside) and sunglasses in a palette of classic neutrals.
Rodriguez recently told the Miami Herald when he realized something wasn’t quite right with his peepers.
“Like a lot of people, it crept up on me,” he recalled. “You start holding the menu a little farther away, you’re squinting at your phone … and one day you just have to accept it!”
As for why he chose to link up with Look Optic, the West Kendall-raised native New Yorker apparently gelled with the front office.
“When I was introduced to the team and founder Andrew Leary, I immediately connected with what they were building,” Rodriguez says. “I’ve always looked for opportunities where great products meet strong leadership and Look Optic checks both boxes, plus the glasses are high-quality, affordable and stylish.”
Rodriguez prefers the progressives, which are ideal for living in South Florida because he can transition from a restaurant to the beach.
“They work for both style and function,” says the Fox Sports commentator. “I don’t have to take them on and off.”
Yep, too busy for all that. Though these days, ARod has a little more time on his hands now that his youngest daughter is headed off to college at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.
“I can’t put into words how proud I am of Ella. She has worked so hard,” he says of the 18-year-old who is about to graduate from Gulliver Prep. “Her older sister Natasha is already at the University of Michigan, so yes … official empty nester status is arriving!”
The milestone is bittersweet, he adds.
“Fatherhood has been the most important thing in my life, bar none,” Rodriguez says. “But watching your kids launch into the world with confidence and purpose? That’s the whole point.”
Short-term business plans for Dad include heading into Season 4 of “The Deal with Bloomberg,” in which he and co-host Jason Kelly sit down with the GOATs of business and sports.
As for his pleasure, look for ARod chilling in the 305 near his bachelor pad.
“Miami is home… it’s where I grew up for most of my life,” he says. “I spend most of my time in Coconut Grove, which I love.”
This story was originally published May 18, 2026 at 1:42 PM with the headline "‘It crept up on me.’ ARod is 50 — and admits to a middle-age issue."
