The best baseball players born on March 25

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 March 25.

1) Tom Glavine (1966)
Days after he was selected by the Braves in the second round of the 1984 MLB Draft, Glavine was drafted by the NHL's L.A. Kings in the fourth round -- ahead of Hall of Famers Luc Robitaille and Brett Hull, he is fond of mentioning. But we all know the end of this story. Glavine famously traded in his ice skates for a baseball glove and went on to become a first-ballot Hall of Famer in Cooperstown. A 300-game winner (305 to be exact) and a 10-time All-Star, with two Cy Young Awards and four Silver Sluggers, his 22-year career was defined by grit and determination. This was never more represented than in Game 6 of the 1995 World Series, when he heroically tossed a one-hitter over eight innings against Cleveland to lead the Braves to their first world championship in Atlanta and claim Fall Classic MVP honors. Kind of makes you wonder what he would have been able to do on the ice, though, doesn't it?

2) Dutch Leonard (1909)
Not to be confused with the pitcher of Red Sox lore, this Dutch Leonard built a 20-year career from 1933-53 and pitched into his mid-40s on the strength of a devastating knuckleball, which was considered one of the best of his time -- even baffling Jackie Robinson, who once said, “Man, what a knuckleball that fellow has. It comes up, makes a face at you, then runs away.” On July 4, 1939, Leonard pitched a complete game for the Washington Senators in the first game of a doubleheader at Yankee Stadium. It was after Leonard’s victory and before the nightcap when the Yankees’ Lou Gehrig delivered his iconic “Luckiest Man” speech. A five-time All-Star, Leonard accumulated a career 48.9 bWAR while pitching for the Brooklyn Dodgers, Senators, Philadelphia Phillies and Chicago Cubs, for whom he was a coach from ‘54-56 following his playing career.

3) Travis Fryman (1969)
Drafted by the Tigers in the first round of the 1987 MLB Draft, Fryman split time at shortstop and third base before ultimately moving to the hot corner full time. A quietly productive hitter in Detroit during the ‘90s, Fryman had at least 20 homers and 90 RBIs in each of his first three full seasons -- he won a Silver Slugger in ‘92, and in ‘93 he became the first Tiger to hit for the cycle since Hoot Evers in '50 -- then piled up consecutive 22-homer, 100-RBI seasons in ‘96-97. He was traded to the expansion D-backs after the ‘97 season then dealt two weeks later to Cleveland, where he hit .287/.340/.504 with 28 homers and 96 RBIs in a resounding first impression to lead the club to the AL Central title. Fryman earned his fifth All-Star selection and won a Gold Glove in 2000, when he enjoyed his finest season -- batting .321/.392/.516 with 22 homers and 106 RBIs.

4) Hyun Jin Ryu (1987)
Following seven seasons with the Hanwha Eagles of the Korea Baseball Organization, the South Korea native became the first player from the KBO to join a Major League team via the posting system when he was signed by the Dodgers before the 2013 season. Ryu started 30 games and recorded a 3.00 ERA, finishing fourth in Rookie of the Year voting, in his first MLB campaign. In 2019, during which he led the Majors in ERA (2.32), he earned his first All-Star selection and served as the game’s starting pitcher. Ryu was the runner-up for the NL Cy Young Award that season before he signed as a free agent with the Blue Jays, where he finished third in AL Cy Young voting in his first season with Toronto. Oh, and he’s a fun guy, too. He’s a foodie, he hates snakes and he’s a veteran of some classic commercials, bloopers and all.

5) Lee Mazzilli (1955)
Drafted 14th overall by the Mets in 1973 -- after giving up an acclaimed speedskating career -- the Brooklyn-born Mazzilli was an immediate fan favorite, bringing style, charisma and exuberance to his play on the field. He made his first and only All-Star team in 1979, when he hit a game-tying home run in the eighth inning and coaxed the decisive bases-loaded walk in the ninth for the National League squad. In a second, separate stint with the Mets, Mazzilli singled and scored the tying run on Gary Carter's sacrifice fly in the eighth inning of the legendary Game 6 of the 1986 World Series against the Red Sox -- and in the decisive Game 7, his single in the sixth sparked New York's championship-clinching rally.

Others of note:

Dan Wilson (1969)
Playing 12 of his 14 seasons in Seattle, the Mariners Hall of Fame catcher played a key role in all four of the club’s postseason appearances (1995, ’97, 2000 and ’01) and was an All-Star in ‘96. But truthfully, all it took to make this list was an inside-the-park grand slam -- bonus points for the unlikeliness factor.

Mike Zunino (1991)
Another longtime Mariners catcher, Zunino was drafted third overall by Seattle in 2012. Acknowledged more for his defense and behind-the-plate acumen, Zunino broke out for 45 home runs over his last two seasons with the Mariners in 2017-18. After being acquired by the Rays, his power subsided but he provided veteran leadership during Tampa Bay’s ‘20 World Series run. Then in ‘21, he served notice that he can, in fact, be an all-around threat. He walloped a head-turning 33 homers with an .860 OPS and made his first All-Star team after putting in extensive work with a hitting coach. He spent one season with the Guardians in 2023 before retiring after the year.

Pete Crow-Armstrong (2002)
Originally a first-round selection of the Mets in the 2020 MLB Draft, Crow-Armstrong was acquired by the Cubs in a 2021 trade that sent Javier Báez and Trevor Williams to New York. The highly touted outfield prospect went on to make his Major League debut for Chicago in 2023. Crow-Armstrong's parents are both actors. His mom, Ashley Crow, has a long list of roles in movies and television, from "Minority Report" to "Heroes." She even has a baseball classic in her credits -- she played Billy Heywood's mom Jenny in "Little Big League."

Want to see more baseball birthdays for March 25? Find the complete list on Baseball Reference.