The best baseball players born on Jan. 10

Here’s a subjective rating of the highest 5 for Jan. 10.

1) Willie McCovey (1938)
As you might need guessed, McCovey Cove outdoors Oracle Park in San Francisco is called for this Giants star and Hall of Famer. McCovey spent 19 of his 22 seasons with the Giants, sharing 13 of them with fellow franchise icon Willie Mays. McCovey burst onto the scene in 1959, successful the NL Rookie of the Year, and stored raking in accolades from there. He obtained MVP votes 10 occasions, gained the NL MVP in 1969, led the NL in residence runs and slugging 3 times every and completed his profession with 521 homers. McCovey, who ranks within the high 10 all-time for the Giants in practically each hitting class, turned a first-ballot Hall of Famer in 1986.

2) Del Pratt (1888)
For the primary six years of his profession, Pratt constantly produced for a largely subpar St. Louis Browns membership that completed above .500 as soon as in that span. While in St. Louis, he averaged 151 video games performed, 160 hits, 30 doubles, 12 triples and 29 stolen bases per 12 months whereas hitting .282 and main the AL in video games performed 4 occasions. Pratt spent the second half of his enjoying tenure with the Yankees, Red Sox and Tigers, sharing a roster with newly minted Yankee Babe Ruth in 1920. He was additionally some of the affected person hitters ever to don pinstripes; his 21.3 at-bats per strikeout is the ninth-best in Yankees historical past.

3) Chick Stahl (1873)
Stahl spent his whole MLB tenure in Boston with the Beaneaters and Americans, as each a participant and a supervisor. Between the strains, Stahl largely manned heart subject and was an professional contact hitter — he completed his profession with a .305 batting common and hit over .300 5 occasions, twice topping .350. Stahl additionally performed within the first World Series in 1903, through which the Americans beat the Pirates, and hit .303 over the eight-game set. After he briefly served because the Americans’ supervisor in 1906 earlier than opting to not handle the next season, Stahl’s life took a tragic flip when he died of an obvious suicide in 1907 at age 34.

4) Adam Kennedy (1976)
The California native got here up with the Cardinals in 1999, however it was in Anaheim the place he made his best impression over a 14-year profession. Kennedy largely manned second base with the Angels and swung a gradual bat, averaging 25 doubles per 12 months with a .280 batting common. He got here by way of on the large stage within the 2002 postseason when he smashed three residence runs in Game 5 of the ALCS towards the Twins, which clinched the pennant for the eventual World Series champions. Kennedy, who was hitting ninth within the order, solely had 23 Major League homers to his title earlier than his exceptional show of playoff energy. It was the one three-homer recreation of his profession, and he earned the 2002 ALCS MVP award for his efforts.

5) John Beckwith (1900)
Beckwith was a star within the Negro Leagues for elements of 12 seasons between 1920 and 1935. Nicknamed “The Black Bomber,” the infielder was routinely in comparison with Babe Ruth, each for his energy and uncooked hitting capability. Beckwith completed his profession with a .349 common and hit over .350 in 5 of his first eight seasons. On May 22, 1921, he made historical past with the Chicago Giants by clobbering the primary residence run to clear the excessive fences at Cincinnati’s Redland Field (later often called Crosley Field), signifying baseball’s transition into the live-ball period of the Nineteen Twenties.

Harry Wright (1835)
Known as one of many “Fathers of Professional Baseball,” Wright performed for and managed the primary identified skilled baseball staff, the 1869 Cincinnati Red Stockings. After his seven-year enjoying profession resulted in 1877, Wright continued managing till 1893 and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1953. His brother, George, was a star participant for the Red Stockings and was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1937.

Paolo Espino (1987)
After compiling simply 30 Major League innings earlier than turning 34, Espino broke out as an important part of the Nationals’ pitching employees in 2021. He notched his first MLB win on June 16, practically 15 years to the day after he was drafted, and set a Nationals franchise document by retiring 25 straight batters out of the bullpen from April 24-May 14. The right-hander then went 0-9 for Washington in 2022.

Drew Steckenrider (1991)
The right-handed reliever, nicknamed “Steckasaurus,” missed all the shortened 2020 season with an arm harm. He bounced again with a stellar marketing campaign for the Mariners in 2021, pitching to a 2.00 ERA over 62 appearances and racking up 14 saves. Steckenrider was designated for project by Seattle in June of 2022.