The best baseball players born on Oct. 18

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 Oct. 18.

1) Candy Cummings (1848)
William Arthur Cummings, the only Hall of Famer born on Oct. 18, is credited with inventing the curveball. According to the National Baseball Hall of Fame, Cummings created the pitch after throwing seashells at the beach as a teenager in 1863, and then he replicated the delivery with a baseball. He went on to pitch six seasons ('72-77) and accumulate a record of 145-94 with a 2.42 ERA before retiring at the age of 28.

2) Yoenis Céspedes (1985)
Céspedes began his Major League career by finishing second for the American League Rookie of the Year Award and receiving Most Valuable Player Award votes in 2012. The outfielder played for the Athletics, Red Sox, Tigers and Mets, and he earned two All-Star selections, one Gold Glove Award and one Silver Slugger Award. He also won back-to-back Home Run Derbies in '13-14.

3) George Hendrick (1949)
Hendrick is a two-time World Series champion as a member of the 1972 Athletics and '82 Cardinals. He earned four All-Star selections and two Silver Slugger Awards over his 18-year career, which also included tenures with Cleveland, the Padres, Pirates and Angels. Hendrick played all three outfield positions and slashed a cumulative .278/.329/.446.

4) Alex Cora (1975)
Cora’s playing career spanned 14 seasons with Los Angeles, Cleveland, Boston, New York, Texas and Washington. Cora, a middle infielder, hit .243/.310/.338. He won the 2007 World Series playing for the Red Sox, and he did so again in '18 as the club’s manager.

5) Willie Horton (1942)
The Detroit native spent parts of the first 15 seasons of his 18-year career with his hometown team – including the 1968 World Series squad – before playing with Texas, Cleveland, Oakland, Toronto and Seattle. As a left fielder and designated hitter, Horton slashed .273/.332/.457 while earning four All-Star selections. The Tigers retired his No. 23 in 2000.

Others of note:

Bobby Knoop (1938)
Knoop won three consecutive Gold Glove Awards at second base from 1966-68. He also was named an All-Star in '66. Knoop played for the Angels, White Sox and Royals across nine seasons.

Doug Mirabelli (1970)
Mirabelli won a pair of World Series with the Red Sox in 2004 and '07. The catcher also played for the Giants, Rangers and Padres over 12 seasons. He memorably received a police escort to arrive at Fenway Park in time for first pitch after he was traded back to Boston from San Diego in '06.

Want to see more baseball birthdays for Oct. 18? Find the complete list on Baseball Reference.