The best baseball players born on June 4

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 June 4.

1. Darin Erstad (1974)
The California Angels made Erstad the No. 1 overall pick in the 1995 MLB Draft out of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Through 11 seasons with the Angels and 14 in the Major Leagues, Erstad made two All-Star Games and won three Gold Glove Awards to go along with his World Series ring from 2002. With the Angels down 3-2 in that World Series to the Giants, it was Erstad’s eighth-inning home run that helped spark a Game 6 comeback.

2. Aaron Nola (1993)
One of the game’s most talented right-handers, Nola was an All-Star in 2018 and he finished third in NL Cy Young Award voting that season at just 25 years old. In 2021, he tied a NL/AL record with 10 consecutive strikeouts in an outing vs. the Mets. Nola helped pitch the Phils to the NL pennant in 2022, where he squared off with his brother, Austin, and the Padres along the way in the NLCS.

3. Tony Pena (1957)
Pena played 18 years in the Major Leagues with six organizations, making five All-Star Games and earning four Gold Glove Awards, and his career continued from there in coaching. Pena managed the Royals from 2002-05, then served as a first-base coach for the Yankees. In 2013, Pena managed the Dominican Republic in the World Baseball Classic as it went on a perfect run, beating Puerto Rico 3-0 in the championship.

4. Terry Kennedy (1956)
Kennedy, a catcher, played 14 seasons in the Major Leagues with the Cardinals, Padres, Orioles and Giants, winning a Silver Slugger Award in 1983. Kennedy was part of a major trade in 1980, too, when the Cardinals sent him in a package to the Padres for Rollie Fingers, Gene Tenace and Bob Shirley.

5. Rick Wilkins (1967)
Another catcher born on June 4, Wilkins played 11 Major League seasons across eight organizations. While he didn’t earn any season-long accolades along the way, he might have deserved one in 1993 with the Cubs, when he hit .303 with 30 home runs and a .937 OPS over 136 games.

Others of note:

Freddy Peralta (1996)
The right-hander truly broke out with the Brewers in 2021, pitching to a 2.81 ERA with 195 strikeouts over 144 1/3 innings, which earned Peralta an All-Star appearance. He earned a career-high 12 wins in 2023.

Scott Servais (1967)
Servais played 11 Major League seasons. The start of the 2024 season marked his ninth season as the manager of the Mariners. He become Seattle's manager after working with the Rangers and Angels in front office roles. Following a 90-72 season in 2021, Servais placed second in AL Manager of the Year voting behind only Kevin Cash of the Rays.

Want to see more baseball birthdays for June 4? Find the complete list on Baseball Reference.