The best baseball players born on Aug. 29

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 Aug. 29:

1) Roy Oswalt (1977)
A three-time All-Star, Oswalt was selected by the Astros in the 23rd round of the 1996 Draft and became a star pitcher for the franchise, posting back-to-back 20-win seasons in 2004 and ‘05 and winning an ERA title in 2006 (2.98). He was the 2005 NLCS MVP, pitching seven innings of one-run ball in the Game 6 win over the Cardinals that sent Houston to its first World Series appearance. The right-hander was traded to the Phillies in 2010 and teamed up with Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee and Cole Hamels in ‘11 to form one of the most dominant pitching rotations in MLB history.

2) Doug DeCinces (1950)
DeCinces took over third-base duties for the Orioles starting in 1976 as Hall of Famer Brooks Robinson’s career was coming to a close, a task that came with incredible amounts of pressure. His most memorable moment with Baltimore occurred on June 22, 1979, when DeCinces hit a walk-off homer against the Tigers that is credited as the “dawning of Orioles Magic.” DeCinces was traded to the Angels in 1982 and finished third in AL MVP voting that year.

3) Aaron Rowand (1977)
Best remembered for slamming face-first into the center-field fence at Citizens Bank Park while making an unbelievable grab for the Phillies in 2006, Rowand also was a two-time World Series champion with the White Sox (2005) and Giants (2010). He’s not the only big leaguer in his family, as Rowand’s cousin James Shields (aka Big Game James) pitched 13 seasons in MLB.

4) Noah Syndergaard (1992)
The flamethrowing right-hander known as Thor was a breakout star for the Mets as a rookie in 2015, striking out 166 in 150 innings before also picking up the win in Game 3 of the World Series against the Royals, the only game New York won in that Fall Classic. He was even better in ‘16, posting a 2.60 ERA in 31 games. Injuries were a major issue for Syndergaard throughout the rest of his Mets tenure, and he signed a one-year deal with the Angels in November 2021 before going on to spend time with the Phillies, Dodgers and Guardians over the next two seasons.

5) Chris Taylor (1990)
A do-it-all super utility man, Taylor has also been quite clutch since joining the Dodgers in 2016. He was MVP of the 2017 NLCS, hit a walk-off homer against the Cardinals in the ‘21 NL Wild Card Game and became the 11th player to go deep three times in a postseason game during Game 5 of the ‘21 NLCS against the Braves. When asked postgame about his sheepish reaction to receiving a curtain call following his third homer, the ever-humble Taylor responded: “I don’t know … I never look cool doing anything.”

Others of note:
Alex Reyes (1994)
The Cards reliever recorded 24 consecutive saves to start his career, which passed LaTroy Hawkins to set a Major League record.

Billy Cox (1919)
Known for his stellar defense, the third baseman was a key contributor for three NL pennant-winning Brooklyn Dodgers clubs (1949, ‘52, ‘53).

Jackie Mitchell (1913)
Signed to a professional contract at just 17 years old, she struck out legends Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig in an exhibition game vs. the Yankees. Mitchell learned how to throw a "drop ball" from her neighbor, Hall of Fame pitcher Dazzy Vance.

Brent Suter (1989)
A reliever whose 2020 “Sutersault” on the mound caught the attention of four-time Olympic gold medalist Simone Biles.

Marc Rzepczynski (1985)
Nicknamed “Scrabble” on account of his last name, the lefty pitched for seven teams over parts of 10 big league seasons and won a World Series with the Cardinals in 2011.

Want to see more baseball birthdays for Aug. 29? Find the complete list on Baseball Reference.