The best baseball players born on St. Patrick's Day
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 March 17.
1) Hank Sauer (1917)
Leading the way for players born on St. Patrick’s Day is “The Honker,” who was the 1952 National League MVP. That season Sauer finished tied for the most homers in the NL, while leading the Senior Circuit in RBIs. The two-time All-Star hit 30 or more homers in six of seven years from 1948-54. The slugger played for the Reds, Cubs, Cardinals and Giants over his 15-year Major League career, finishing with 288 homers.
2) Pete Reiser (1919)
“Pistol Pete” won the 1941 National League batting title and was a three-time All-Star for the Brooklyn Dodgers. The outfielder led the NL in WAR, on-base percentage, slugging percentage and triples, while finishing tied for first in doubles in '41, and he placed second in MVP voting behind teammate Dolph Camilli. He also led the NL in stolen bases twice. After a 10-year playing career with Brooklyn, the Boston Braves, Pittsburgh and Cleveland, Reiser won a World Series championship as a coach on the Dodgers’ staff in 1963.
3) Bill Mueller (1971)
Mueller won the American League batting title for the Red Sox in 2003 and he helped Boston to its first World Series championship in 86 years the next season. His Major League career spanned 11 seasons with the Giants, Cubs, Red Sox and Dodgers. After retiring, he worked as a front-office assistant for the Dodgers and also as a hitting coach for multiple teams.
4) Jean Segura (1990)
The two-time All-Star led the National League in hits in 2017, his lone season with the D-backs. Nicknamed “El Mambo,” the Dominican native had three consecutive seasons with an average over .300 from 2016-18. While bringing his defensive prowess at the shortstop and second base positions, Segura compiled a .295 average over his first decade in the Majors with the Angels, Brewers, D-backs, Mariners and Phillies.
5) Chris Davis (1986)
“Crush” led the Majors in home runs twice, belting 53 homers in 2013 and 47 in ’15 for the Orioles. The left-handed-hitting slugger was an All-Star in 2013 and slashed .233/.315/.459 with 295 home runs and 1,852 strikeouts across 13 seasons in the Majors with the O’s and Rangers before retiring in 2021. Davis helped Baltimore reach the postseason in 2012 and ’16 and he ranks sixth on the club’s all-time home run list with 253.
Others of note:
Rhys Hoskins (1993)
The first baseman led the NL in walks in 2019 with 116. In '22 he blasted 30 homers and led Philadelphia in doubles with 33 while helping the Phils to the postseason, where they went on to capture to the NL pennant. After missing all of the '23 season with a torn ACL, Hoskins signed a two-year deal to join the Brewers.
Cito Gaston (1944)
Gaston led the Blue Jays to back-to-back World Series Championships in 1992 and ’93 as a manager after an All-Star playing career as an outfielder for the Braves, Padres and Pirates. His best season as a player came in 1970, when he hit .318 with 29 homers and 93 RBIs for the Padres and made the NL All-Star team.
Andrew Kittredge (1990)
The righty reliever was an All-Star in 2021, posting a 1.88 ERA with a 0.98 WHIP in 71 2/3 innings across 57 appearances for the AL East champion Rays.
Juan Lagares (1989)
Known for his highlight-reel worthy catches, the speedy center fielder won a Gold Glove Award in 2014 as a member of the Mets and he helped lead New York to a National League pennant in '15.
Fred Pfeffer (1860)
Pfeffer, a second baseman who was one of the last bare-handed fielders in the Majors, had 1,680 hits over a 16-year career in the late 1800s. He was both a player and manager for the Louisville Colonels in 1892 and went on to manage at the collegiate and Minor League levels after his playing days. After retiring from the game, he ran a successful bar in Chicago until prohibition.
Charlie Root (1899)
The right-hander was the NL leader in wins for the Cubs in 1927, when he went 26-15. Root compiled a 201-160 record over his 17-year career with the St. Louis Browns and Chicago.
Want to see more baseball birthdays for March 17? Find the complete list on Baseball Reference.