The best baseball players born on May 7

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 7.

1) Tom Zachary (1896)

The runaway favorite on this list when it comes to advanced metrics, Zachary was a two-time World Series champion, first with the Senators and later as a Yankee. The Fall Classic MVP wasn't handed out during Zachary's time, but he was a prime candidate for it during that first triumph with the Senators in 1924; the southpaw shined on a rotation with Walter Johnson, winning a pair of games over the New York Giants with a 2.04 ERA and throwing a complete game in the pivotal Game 6. Zachary's most known feat may be less flattering, though. He is famous for throwing the pitch that Babe Ruth hammered out for his never-before-accomplished 60th home run of the 1927 season.

2) James Loney (1984)

Do you recall that Loney was initially scouted as a pitcher? The Houston native ultimately stuck as serviceable first baseman over his 11-year career, most of which came in a Dodger jersey with some big postseason numbers to show for it. The former first-round pick burst onto the scene with a .915 OPS in his first two rookie-eligible seasons, and he also holds a Dodger record to this day. His nine-RBI performance in his 46th career game is tied with Hall of Famer Gil Hodges for the most in a single game in franchise history. Loney was also involved in the three-team blockbuster trade in 2012 that brought Josh Beckett, Carl Crawford, Adrian Gonzalez and Nick Punto to Los Angeles.

3) Mickey Doolin (1880)

Doolin was one of baseball's first great defensive shortstops, inviting one sportswriter from his time to remark that the long-time Phillie “could throw standing on his head." The bat was seldom there, but Doolin, who earned MVP votes twice in his career, was said to have defense that bested some Hall of Fame shortstops of his time, such as Honus Wagner and Joe Tinker. He coached for the Cubs after retiring from playing and later became a dentist.

4) Ed Heusser (1909)

The career of "The Wild Elk of the Wasatch" hit a high note in 1944, when Heusser won the ERA title with a 2.38 mark across 192 2/3 innings, besting some Cardinal greats of his era and even his teammate on the Reds in Bucky Walters. At a time when the postseason was reserved for only the regular-season champs from each league, Heusser never got to experience the postseason but put up a 3.18 ERA (111 ERA+) in his best four-year run with Cincinnati.

5) Emilio Pagán (1991)

As the Rays revolutionized what it means to be a relief pitcher, Pagán was central to the tide turn. The righty put up a sensational 2.31 ERA (190 ERA+) in his breakout 2019 campaign and was a trusted pitcher in big regular-season and postseason situations (saving 20 games) before being traded to San Diego the ensuing offseason. He spent two seasons with the Padres, then two seasons with the Twins before signing a deal to join the Reds before the start of the 2024 season.

Others of note:

Dick Williams (1929)

Williams was a decent player, appearing in 1,023 games, but earned his Hall of Fame status as manager, winning four pennants and leading the A's to back-to-back World Series titles in 1972 and '73.

Want to see more baseball birthdays for May 7? Find the complete list on Baseball Reference.