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 July 12.

1) Howie Kendrick (1983)
His nickname is "Truck." Need we say more? OK, we do probably need to say more, as Kendrick was also an All-Star and received a top-20 AL MVP finish during his 15-year career. The highlight of his career -- which began with a nine-year stint with the Angels before he spent time with the Dodgers and Nationals -- was of course his performance during the 2019 postseason to help secure Washington's first World Series.

In Game 5 of the NLDS that year, he hit a go-ahead grand slam in extras to advance against the Dodgers, was named NLCS MVP for his continued standout efforts and then knocked a go-ahead homer off the right-field foul pole in Game 7 of the World Series to help clinch the title.

But again, his nickname is "Truck." So that really takes the cake.

2) Ron Fairly (1938)
Fairly played in the Majors for a whopping 21 years, including a dozen seasons with the Dodgers, another six with the Expos and the remainder spread out between the Cardinals, Angels, A's and Blue Jays. He credits the decision to lengthen L.A.'s infield grass for his statistical downturn in 1967 and '68 before being traded to Montreal rejuvenated his stat lines (although he did not enjoy playing for what at the time was a losing team in colder weather). He was the only player to be named an All-Star as both an Expo and a Blue Jay.

A two-time All-Star and a three-time World Series champion as part of the Dodgers' 1960s heyday, Fairly would go on to have a successful broadcasting career for more than three decades for various West Coast clubs until his death at age 81 in 2019.

3) Lee Meadows (1894)
Meadows pitched in nearly 500 games from 1915-29, donning the uniforms of Pittsburgh (where he won a World Series in '25), Philadelphia and St. Louis in that span. But maybe the most interesting part of his career is that he is on record as the first player in modern baseball to wear glasses while on the field, which drew jeers and taunts, contemporary sources reported. But that does explain why his nickname was "Specs."

4) Mario Soto (1956)
Before injuries ended his career earlier than anticipated (he pitched in just 30 games from 1986 through '88, his final season in the Majors), Soto was a three-time All-Star, finished in the top-20 of MVP voting once (in 1983, when he had a 2.70 ERA and led the NL with 18 complete games) and was in the top 10 in Cy Young Award voting four times. He was the runner-up to John Denny in the '83 voting, falling short by 42 points. The next year, he came within one out of throwing a no-hitter against St. Louis, and in 2001 he was inducted to the Reds Hall of Fame.

5) George Zettlein (1844)
Sure, Zettlein died in 1905, barely past the point when baseball entered its modern era. So he's not exactly the most well-known person on this list. But in 1875, he did accomplish the feat of pitching 462 1/3 innings without giving up a single home run, a single-season record. As far as records that will never, ever be broken, this is definitely one of them.

Others of note

Jack Harshman (1927)
In July 1954, Harshman set the White Sox franchise record for strikeouts in a game with 16 against the Red Sox, a record that still stands. The following month, he threw a 16-inning shutout against the Tigers.

Johnny Wyrostek (1919)
After an 11-year career in the Majors, including a year of military service early in his career in 1945, Wyrostek returned to his hometown of Fairmont City, Ill., and became a union carpenter (including the president of the local union), a deputy sheriff and was the mayor for nearly two decades.

Want to see more baseball birthdays for July 12? Find the complete list on Baseball Reference.