The best baseball players born on June 22

June 22nd, 2023

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 June 22.

1) Carl Hubbell (1903)
Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1947, Hubbell turned heads with his screwball, which helped him strike out Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Jimmie Foxx, Al Simmons and Joe Cronin (in that order) during the 1934 All-Star Game. Five Hall of Famers struck out in five consecutive at-bats. That was Hubbell. A nine-time All-Star (1933-42), the southpaw spent his 16-year career with the New York Giants, whom he helped to win the 1933 World Series, and in turn took home the 1933 NL MVP Award (his first of two) and the NL ERA title (his first of three). In 1936, Hubbell posted a 26-6 record and finished the season with 16 straight victories to become the first unanimous pick for the NL MVP Award.

2) Ian Kinsler (1982)
Kinsler capped his 14-year career by joining the Padres’ front office upon his retirement in 2019. Since then he’s dusted off his cleats to play pro baseball once, suiting up for Team Israel in the 2020 Olympics. Kinsler was a four-time All-Star, three of those honors coming during his time with the Rangers. The second baseman won two Gold Gloves (2016, '18) and turned the most double plays of all AL second basemen in 2008 (123) and 2011 (103).

3) Steel Arm Davis (1896)
Davis played in the Negro Leagues for 10 years, accumulating a .323/.378/.479 slash line while hitting 38 home runs. A first baseman, Davis also played in the outfield and pitched. He helped lead the Chicago American Giants to a World Series championship in 1927, hitting three home runs in the postseason. Davis made his only All-Star team in 1933.

4) Walt Masterson (1920)
Masterson spent 11 years with the Washington Senators during his 14-year Major League career. The right-hander made two All-Star teams and was the starting pitcher in the 1947 All-Star Game. In 1943, Masterson joined the Navy, missing both the '43 and '44 seasons while serving during WWII.

5) Ron Hodges (1949)
A Met for life, Hodges spent his entire 12-year career in New York and provided consistency and stability during a tumultuous time (for example, when Tom Seaver and Dave Kingman were traded away on the same day). Hodges had a career .342 on-base percentage and walked 224 times.

Other notable players:
Tyler O’Neill (1995)

The Canadian native has won two NL Gold Gloves and finished eighth in NL MVP voting in 2021 after his breakout season helped prolong the Cardinals’ 17-game winning streak in September.

Bill Williams (1913)
Williams spent seven years in the Negro American League with the Kansas City Monarchs. A two-time All-Star, the infielder led the NAL in hits (39) and runs created (22) in 1940.

Jason Motte (1982)
Motte won the 2011 World Series with the Cardinals, recording five saves over 12 1/3 innings that postseason. During the peak of his career, he sported a triple-digit fastball that made him an effective closer.

Brad Hawpe (1979)
A first baseman and outfielder, Hawpe led the NL in assists as a right fielder in 2006 (16), and made his only All-Star team three years later.

Want to see more baseball birthdays for June 22? Find the complete list on Baseball Reference.