The best baseball players born on Dec. 2

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 Dec. 2.

1) Deacon White (1847)
The lone Hall of Famer born on Dec. 2, White is recognized as the player who “recorded the first hit in the history of the National Association, recognized as the first major league” on May 4, 1871. He was elected to Cooperstown by the Veterans Committee in 2013.

2) Mark Kotsay (1975)
Before he became manager of the Oakland A’s, Kotsay spent 17 seasons with seven teams in the big leagues as an outfielder and first baseman. The former first-round pick was one of the best amateur baseball players of his era, winning the Golden Spikes Award as well as a College World Series with Cal State Fullerton in 1995 before earning a bronze medal with USA Baseball at the 1996 Olympics.

3) Darryl Kile (1968)
Depending on your age, the tragic circumstances surrounding Kile’s untimely death from a heart attack at age 33 may overshadow his stellar career. The California native was, among other things, revered by his peers as a fierce competitor, recognized as an All-Star three times during his 12-year career, and fondly remembered for throwing what would become the final no-hitter in Astrodome history on Sept. 8, 1993.

4) Julio Cruz (1954)
Stellar speed and an excellent glove at second base gave Cruz the chance to spend 10 seasons in the Major Leagues. He became a fan favorite as a member of both the expansion Seattle Mariners as well as the “Winning Ugly” Chicago White Sox. Cruz’s 343 career stolen bases sit just outside the top 100 all-time in AL/NL history.

5) Gary Sánchez (1992)
“The Kraken” burst onto the scene in 2016 and finished second in AL Rookie of the Year voting that year despite playing in just 53 games. He won a Silver Slugger Award and was named to his first All-Star Game the following season.

Others of note:

André Rodgers (1934)
The first Bahamian to break into the big leagues, Rodgers grew up playing cricket before being signed by the New York Giants ahead of the 1954 season. He was part of the franchise’s inaugural 1958 campaign in San Francisco and spent a total of 11 seasons in the National League thanks to stints with the Chicago Cubs and Pittsburgh Pirates.

Peter Moylan (1978)
The affable Australian introduced himself to Atlanta Braves fans in 2006, signing with the club in March of that year and making his Major League debut less than a month later.

Pedro Borbón (1946)
Best known as a workhorse relief pitcher for the “Big Red Machine”, Borbón spent 12 seasons in “The Show” and won a World Series ring in 1975 and 1976. He was elected to the Reds Hall of Fame in 2010. His son, Pedro Jr., pitched parts of nine seasons with five different clubs between 1992-2003 and won a World Series with the Braves in 1995.

Chip Hale (1964)
Hale spent parts of seven largely uneventful seasons in the big leagues before embarking on a coaching career ahead of the 2000 season. He broke back in the Major Leagues as a bench coach in 2007 and was named manager of the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2015. Hale lasted two seasons as the D-backs skipper before continuing as a coach with the A’s, Nationals and Tigers. He was named head baseball coach at his alma mater, Arizona, on July 5, 2021.

Wayne Simpson (1948)
Simpson burst onto the scene in 1970, compiling a 14-3 record and being named to the All-Star Game during his rookie season. The California native was legally blind in his left eye but carried a fastball so potent it made Hall of Fame catcher Johnny Bench boast, “I’ve never seen more explosive stuff.”

A severely torn rotator cuff suffered late in his inaugural campaign hampered the former first-round pick throughout the rest of his six-year MLB career.

Want to see more baseball birthdays for Dec. 2? Find the complete list on Baseball Reference.