Who are the best players born on each day of the year? We have a list for every day on the calendar.
Here’s a subjective ranking of the top five for May 29:
1) Eric Davis (1962)
The dynamic Davis leads the way with the most WAR, per Baseball Reference, of any player born on May 29. He hit 282 career homers and stole 349 bases, one of just 16 AL/NL players with at least 250 home runs and 300 stolen bases. Only seven of the players on that 250-homer list stole more bags than Davis’ 349 -- Rickey Henderson, Joe Morgan, Barry Bonds, Bobby Bonds, Craig Biggio, Bobby Abreu and Derek Jeter. Davis’ career falls under the category of ‘what could have been’ -- his trajectory was altered after suffering a lacerated kidney making a diving catch in Game 4 of the 1990 World Series.
2) George McQuinn (1910)
McQuinn was a seven-time All-Star and a 1947 World Series champion with the Yankees. A year after hitting just .225 for the A’s in 136 games in 1946, McQuinn had a strong regular season in ‘47 to help the Yankees capture the pennant. He hit .304 in 144 games, finishing sixth in AL MVP voting as his teammate Joe DiMaggio won the award. That was the only title of his career, but his other postseason performance was his best: for the Browns in the 1944 series against the Cardinals. Though the Browns lost in six games to their city rivals, McQuinn hit .438 in 24 plate appearances, including a home run.
3) Jerry Hairston (1976)
Hairston had a 16-year career with the Orioles, Dodgers, Rangers, Cubs, Reds, Padres, Nationals, Yankees and Brewers. Hairston’s family has deep baseball roots: his brother Scott, father Jerry, uncle John and grandfather Sam all played at the Major League level. The Hairstons are one of just five three-generation baseball families, along with the Bells, Boones, Colemans and Schofield/Werths.
4) Charlie Hayes (1965)
Hayes played 14 seasons for the Giants, Phillies, Yankees, Rockies, Pirates, Astros and Brewers. He won a World Series in 1996 with the Yankees -- and played a key role, catching a foul popup for the final out. His best offensive season came in 1993 with the Rockies in their inaugural season. He hit .305 and slugged .522, leading the NL with 45 doubles. His son, Ke’Bryan, made his MLB debut for the Pirates in 2020.
5) Paul Skenes (2002)
No. 5 with a bullet! Would anyone be surprised to see Skenes at the top of this list before the end of the decade, let alone the end of his career? The highly touted right-hander was selected first overall in the 2023 MLB Draft by the Pirates after helping LSU to the College World Series title earlier that year. He quickly ascended through the Minors with an electrifying arsenal of pitches and made his highly anticipated Major League debut in May of 2024 to much fanfare. In the year since, he's started an All-Star Game for the NL, won the NL Rookie of the Year Award and was a finalist for the NL Cy Young Award. What's next?
Others of note:
Steven Matz (1991)
Matz debuted as a 24-year-old in 2015, driving in two runs and pitching 7 2/3 innings in his first game. He became the first pitcher in Mets history with multiple RBIs in his MLB debut. Now in his 11th season, Matz has spent the past four years with the Cardinals after six with the Mets and one with the Blue Jays.
Blue Moon Odom (1945)
Odom was a three-time World Series champion with the A’s in the 1970’s, winning in 1972-74. He had a career 1.13 ERA in 39 ⅔ postseason innings in those years.
Want to see more baseball birthdays for May 29? Find the complete list on Baseball Reference.