The Yankees All-April Birthday Team

Q: Who are the key players on the Yankees All-April Birthday Team?

The team includes Catfish Hunter as pitcher, Don Mattingly at first base, and Anthony Volpe as shortstop, among others.

Q: What is the significance of Catfish Hunter in Yankees history?

Catfish Hunter is credited with transforming the Yankees' culture into a championship-winning team during the late 1970s.

Q: When is Don Mattingly's birthday and why is he notable?

Don Mattingly's birthday is April 20, and he is renowned as one of the greatest first basemen in Yankees history.

Q: What role did David Justice play in the Yankees' success?

David Justice was instrumental in the Yankees' lineup during the 2000 season, helping the team secure a World Series championship.

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - APRIL 16: Aaron Judge #99 of the New York Yankees celebrates in the dugout after hitting a solo home run in the first inning against the Los Angeles Angels at Yankee Stadium on April 16, 2026 in The Bronx borough of New York City. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images) | Getty Images Back in August, I began a series here at Pinstripe Alley where I was going to put together an All-Star Yankee team of players who were born in a given month. Since then, we as a staff have started doing daily posts for the year 2026, highlighting a Yankee from history whose birthday happens to land on that day. So what better way to put a cap on a month’s worth of birthday posts then by using the all-month teams as a way to look back on who we covered? And maybe some we didn’t cover who shared a birthday with someone else? With that in mind, here are my choices for the All-April Birthday Yankee Team. Also, we haven’t always named a manager to go with these clubs, but April presents a perfect opportunity with Hall of Fame skipper Joe McCarthy. **Pitcher: Catfish Hunter ()** There are a couple of decent pitching options for April, including my No. 2 choice . However, the pitcher for this team probably has to be Catfish. Other than his ridiculous 1975, Hunter’s Yankee tenure didn’t come during his prime, but everyone who played for the team in that era credits him for helping turn the team culture into a championship-winning one by the end of 1970s. N.Y. Yankees Sign Jim “Catfish” Hunter **Catcher: Bob Watson ()** OK, so Watson only played 10 career MLB games at catcher, and all came well before his stint with the Yankees. However, there’s not a ton of other good option for backstops, and Team April can also rely on him for his front office expertice. **First Baseman: Don Mattingly ()** Between Watson and the guy who we’re putting at DH later on, first base for the April team has some pretty good depth. However, there’s only one choice for this team’s starter we can make: Donnie Baseball. **Second Baseman: Spike Owen** We didn’t profile Owen as part of the Birthday Series and he more played on the left side of the infield in his career, but middle infield depth for the April team is pretty shallow. He was a 13-year big-leaguer in the ’80s and ’90s, most notably with the , , and Expos, and in 1993, he was one of the Yankees’ last regulars at shortstop before a guy named Derek came along. **Shortstop: ** As frustrating as his MLB career has often been, he’s a pretty clear no-doubt pick for April’s shortstop, considering who we picked for second base. **Third Baseman: Wid Conroy ()** Conroy was a NL pennant-winning player with the 103-win 1902 Pirates, in the final year before the World Series came into existence. He then hopped over to the AL to play with the then New York Highlanders in their first year of existence in 1903. **Left Field: David Justice ()** The 2000 trade for Justice deservedly goes down as one of the best midseason deals in team history. He provided a much needed spark to the Yankees’ lineup, allowing them to complete a World Series three-peat. **Center Field: ()** OK yes, Beltrán wasn’t much of a center fielder when he finally came to the Yankees, as his three years in the Bronx came in his age 37-39 years. However, he was an excellent center fielder in his prime, which helped him gain election into the Hall of Fame in this year’s class. **Right Field: Aaron Judge** *(you’ll never believe who the birthday post is for tomorrow – Ed.)* I’ve heard of that guy. **Designated Hitter: ()** “Tex” probably could’ve been the starting first baseman for a lot of the other month’s teams. However with Mattingly around, we’ll just stick Teixeira over at DH. There’s my personal picks for April, but less us know how would line up a Yankees’ team with April birthdays.