The best baseball players born on April 29

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 April 29:

1) Luis Aparicio (1934)

The only Hall of Famer born on April 29, Aparicio was a 10-time All-Star and nine-time Gold Glove Award winner throughout his 18-year MLB career. He was the first Venezuelan player to be inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1984. His No. 11 is retired by the Chicago White Sox.

2) Ron Washington (1952)

Washington was hired as manager by the Angels prior to the start of the 2024 season. He managed the Rangers for from 2007-14 and helped Texas to two trips to the World Series in 2010 and '11. Washington was also a longtime coach for the A's and Braves and he played 14 seasons in the Majors, posting a .261/.292/.368 slash line.

3) Rick Burleson (1951)

Burleson, who was drafted at No. 5 overall by the Red Sox in the 1970 January Draft-Secondary Phase, was nicknamed the “Rooster” because of his intensity on the field. In ‘81, Burleson made history when he agreed to a six-year, $4.2 million deal with the Angels to make him the highest paid shortstop in the Majors.

4) Bob McClure (1952)

McClure appeared as both a starter and a reliever during his 10-year stint with the Milwaukee Brewers, where he spent most of his big league career. McClure led the Brewers in saves in both 1978 and 1980, but moved to the rotation in 1982. He returned to the closer position that postseason, when he helped Milwaukee to an American League Pennant. He made five appearances in the World Series and recorded saves in Games 4 and 5 before the Brewers fell in seven.

5) Ed Charles (1933)

Charles only played eight years in the big leagues, but ultimately slashed .263/.330/.397 with a .727 OPS between the Kansas City Athletics and New York Mets. He was most notably the oldest member of the 1969 “Miracle Mets,” who won the World Series over the Orioles.

Others of note:

Mickey McDermott (1929)

McDermott first tried out for the Brooklyn Dodgers when he was 13 years old, but was unable to sign because it was illegal. He instead signed with the Red Sox two years later, where he would spend the first six years of his professional career.

Kelly Shoppach (1980)

Shoppach was an elite college baseball player who attended Baylor University in Waco, Texas, where he was named the Big 12 Player of the Year in 2001. He spent nine years in the big leagues across five different teams, most notably five years with Cleveland. In 2008, Shoppach became just the second American League player (eighth in MLB) to record five extra-base hits in a game: three doubles and two home runs.

Want to see more baseball birthdays for April 29? Find the complete list on Baseball Reference.