The best baseball players born on Nov. 16

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 Nov. 16.

Dwight Gooden (1964)
He was the pitcher with the golden right arm, and the Mets wanted to preserve it, forcing the natural lefty hitter to bat righty. Gooden's accolades include the 1984 Rookie of the Year Award, a Cy Young in '85 and a no-hitter with the Yankees in '96. But don't forget the seven homers he hit with the Mets and his Silver Slugger Award in '92. Gooden had his No. 16 retired by the Mets in 2024.

Cristóbal Torriente (1893)
Known as the "Cuban Babe," Torriente is in the National Baseball Hall of Fame and the Cuban Baseball Hall of Fame. A dual threat, Torriente once hit a ball so hard that it left a small crater in the ground next to Hall of Famer Frankie Frisch at third base as it blazed into left field. The Cuban star played 10 seasons in the Negro Leagues for the Chicago American Giants, Kansas City Monarchs, Detroit Stars and Louisville Black Caps.

Harry Chiti (1932)
Fun trivia: In 1962, Chiti was traded by Cleveland to the Mets for a player to be named. Name that player. Give up? It was ... Harry Chiti. That's not a typo. Twelve games into their debut season, the Mets traded for the 29-year-old catcher, but his time in New York was brief after the club went 6-9. The lovable Mets, who would go on to lose 120 games, dealt Chiti back to Cleveland as the player to be named, becoming the first player to be traded for himself. The others: Dickie Noles, Brad Gulden and John McDonald.

Rollie Zeider (1883)
There have been six players named Rollie who appeared in the Majors, and Zeider is the first one. But his given name serves as a side note to his nickname: Bunions. He got the nickname after a Tigers outfielder -- it was Sam Crawford, but it was originally reported as Ty Cobb -- spiked his bunion in a game, putting him in the hospital. Zeider played nine seasons in the Majors, including with three Chicago teams.

Frank Bolling (1931)
There have been four Tigers second basemen to win a Gold Glove at their position, and Bolling was the first in 1958. During his Gold Glove campaign, Bolling’s double-play partners were Billy Martin and his brother, Milt. The Bollings are one of four brother tandems to start a game at second and short in the Modern Era (since 1900), according to the Elias Sports Bureau. The others are Garvin and Granny Hamner of the 1945 Phillies, Eddie and Johnny O’Brien of the 1953-56 Pirates and the Orioles’ Cal and Billy Ripken in 1987-92 and ‘96.

Want to see more baseball birthdays for Nov. 16? Find the complete list on Baseball Reference.