The best baseball players born on May 31

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 31.

1) Kenny Lofton (1967)
Very few players have been able to dominate the game quite like Lofton did during his career. He was a stellar center fielder, winning four Gold Glove Awards. But his defining trait was his ability to make the art of stealing bases look effortless. Lofton finished his career with 622 stolen bases, which is good for 15th best in AL/NL history. He led the league in steals five times.

2) Jake Peavy (1981)
Peavy battled injuries and inconsistencies in the back half of his career, but the right-hander was as dominant as any pitcher in the league during his prime with the Padres. His best season came in ‘07, when he won the National League Cy Young Award after wrapping up the pitching Triple Crown (leading the league in ERA, strikeouts and innings pitched). His 39.2 bWAR is second to only Lofton for a player born on this date.

3) Shane Bieber (1995)
Like Peavy, Bieber wrapped up a pitching Triple Crown, en route to an AL Cy Young Award in 2020 with Cleveland, making it pretty remarkable that two pitchers born on the same date have accomplished the difficult task.

4) Dave Roberts (1972)
Roberts played for five organizations during his 10-year playing career, serving as a speedy outfielder who was a constant threat on the basepaths. He’s responsible for the iconic steal of second base in Game 4 of the ALCS against the Yankees, that helped the Red Sox stay alive in the series and ultimately break the Curse of the Bambino. Following his playing career, Roberts has become one of the winningest managers in baseball, helping the Dodgers win six NL West titles in his first seven seasons.

5) David Fletcher (1994)
Fletcher debuted in 2018 and served as the Angels' starting second baseman for the next four seasons. He hit .319/.376/.425 with a 120 OPS+ during the pandemic-shortened 2020 season.

Others of note:

Dupee Shaw (1859)
Shaw started 66 games with the Detroit Wolverines and Boston Reds in the 1884 season, going 30-33 with a 2.30 ERA. Yes, you read that correctly. He went 30-33. In one season.

Tippy Martinez (1950)
Martinez played a key role in helping the Orioles win the 1983 World Series. The left-hander made his only All-Star team that season, posting a 2.35 ERA in 64 relief appearances.

Andrew Bailey (1984)
Bailey took the league by storm, making the All-Star team in each of his first two big league seasons. But the right-hander wasn’t able to build on that as he bounced around with a few organizations for most of his career.

Want to see more baseball birthdays for May 31? Find the complete list on Baseball Reference.