Choke or Clutch: Predicting How MLB's Biggest Stars Will Perform in Postseason

The postseason is time for superstar players to earn their multimillion-dollar contracts and step up when the lights shine brightest.

What follows is a look at the field of superstar players who will appear in October this year.

To clarify, this is not a list of the best players of 2012 playing in the postseason, but instead the biggest stars based on reputation—the idea being that this would serve as a snapshot of the top names participating in this year's postseason.

As such, you won't see breakout performers like Chris Davis and Kris Medlen on the following list.

After determining the top players, I took into account both this season's numbers and past performances in the playoffs to make my best guess on whether the players will be clutch or will choke in the postseason. 

C Brian McCann, Atlanta Braves

Career Postseason Stats

.300/.313/.633, 3 HR, 8 RBI, 4 R

Overview

A career .286/.358/.486 hitter entering the season, McCann has long been one of the most reliable and productive offensive backstops in all of baseball.

He was clearly not himself this season, though, as he had a meager line of .230/.300/.399, but he did still hit 20 home runs. He hit just .219 in the second half, and he's shown no signs of turning things on down the stretch, so don't expect much in the postseason.

Choke or Clutch?

Choke

C Yadier Molina, St. Louis Cardinals

Career Postseason Stats

.309/.354/.417, 2 HR, 23 RBI, 14 R

Overview

Prior to the 2011 season, Molina was a supreme defensive catcher with average offensive skills. However, in the past two seasons, he's emerged as one of the best offensive backstops in all of baseball as well.

This season, Molina posted career highs across the board with a .315 batting average with 22 home runs, 76 RBI and 12 stolen bases, and he had a 6.7 WAR as a result. He's always been a clutch performer in the postseason, and coming off the best season of his career, he should have no problem posting great numbers once again.

Choke or Clutch?

Clutch

C Buster Posey, San Francisco Giants

Career Postseason Stats

.288/.354/.390, 1 HR, 5 RBI, 6 R

Overview

Posey has come back better than anyone could have hoped after suffering a broken ankle last season, and he once again carried the Giants offense, much like he did during the 2010 season.

Posey (.336 BA, 24 HR, 103 RBI) won the NL batting title and has set himself up as the front-runner for NL MVP honors. After doing little during the team's 2010 postseason run, I expect Posey to carry the team this time around and show why he was in fact the league's MVP.

Choke or Clutch?

Clutch

1B Prince Fielder, Detroit Tigers

Career Postseason Stats

.192/.317/.500, 4 HR, 8 RBI, 7 R

Overview

Fielder had a relatively successful first season in Detroit, as he had a .313 batting average with 30 home runs and 108 RBI while playing in all 162 games for the third time in the past four seasons.

He provided valuable protection behind Triple Crown winner Miguel Cabrera in the lineup, but he has struggled mightily in his previous two trips to the postseason. With no real protection behind Fielder, he won't get much to hit, and I expect his numbers to be down again this postseason.

Choke or Clutch?

Choke

1B Mark Teixeira, New York Yankees

Career Postseason Stats

.207/.315/.322, 3 HR, 13 RBI, 19 R

Overview

Teixeira has played in just four games since August 27, including the last three games of the season, and he will likely need to get some at-bats under his belt before he's back in the swing of things.

He'll be as important as any player in the Yankees lineup, likely hitting behind the red-hot Robinson Cano where he'll need to provide him with some protection. I think he'll improve as the postseason goes on, but as a whole he'll struggle, and he does not exactly have the best postseason track record to begin with.

Choke or Clutch?

Choke

1B Joey Votto, Cincinnati Reds

Career Postseason Stats

.100/.091/.100, 0 HR, 1 RBI, 0 R

Overview

Had Votto not been sidelined with a knee injury, he likely would have walked away with his second NL MVP award, as he still managed to lead the NL with a .474 on-base percentage and 94 walks.

Since rejoining the team, he's had a .316 batting average with zero home runs and seven RBIs over 76 at-bats; his power has not returned as the Reds had hoped. That leads me to believe he won't be in top form until sometime next season and will post subpar numbers in the playoffs.

Choke or Clutch?

Choke

2B Robinson Cano, New York Yankees

Career Postseason Stats

.258/.307/.491, 8 HR, 29 RBI, 21 R

Overview

Cano once again showed why he is the best second baseman in baseball this season, anchoring the Yankees lineup and hitting third or fourth for most of the season.

He's on an absolute tear entering the postseason, going 20-for-39 with 14 RBI over his past nine games, and while teams could look to pitch around him, he's hitting everything in sight right now and should make the most of whatever opportunities he's given.

Choke or Clutch?

Clutch

2B Brandon Phillips, Cincinnati Reds

Career Postseason Stats

.333/.333/.667, 1 HR, 1 RBI, 2 R

Overview

Phillips (.281 BA, 18 HR, 77 RBI, 15 SB) has had an up-and-down season that resulted in a solid end of the year line as he maintained his place among the top offensive second basemen in the game.

However, he went ice cold in the season's final month, hitting just .196 with three home runs and six RBI as the Reds have gotten contributions from their role players over their superstars down the stretch. I wouldn't expect that need to magically right itself heading into the postseason.

Choke or Clutch?

Choke

SS Derek Jeter, New York Yankees

Career Postseason Stats

.307/.374/.465, 20 HR, 59 RBI, 107 R

Overview

Jeter led all of baseball this season with 216 hits, as he turned in one of his best seasons in years at the age of 38 and managed to maintain a high level of play all season long.

The future Hall of Famer has a legendary track record when the lights are shining brightest, and there is no reason to think he'll slow down as the season wraps up.

Choke or Clutch?

Clutch

3B Adrian Beltre, Texas Rangers

Career Postseason Stats

.264/.293/.494, 5 HR, 10 RBI, 15 R

Overview

While Josh Hamilton had the gaudier numbers, Beltre was consistently the Rangers' best hitter this season. He enjoyed a terrific second half, with a .316 batting average with 21 home runs, 48 RBI and a .965 OPS.

He managed five home runs last postseason despite a relatively low batting average. I expect him to come through with a huge postseason this time around and post series-MVP type numbers.

Choke or Clutch?

Clutch

3B Miguel Cabrera, Detroit Tigers

Career Postseason Stats

.282/.383/.573, 8 HR, 22 RBI, 18 R

Overview

Cabrera capped off his Triple Crown season with a huge final month, as he had a .333 batting average with 11 home runs and 30 RBIs to help the Tigers catch the White Sox and secure the AL Central title.

You can pull out all the stats you want on Cabrera, but who would be against him having a dominant postseason at this point?

Choke or Clutch?

Clutch

3B Chipper Jones, Atlanta Braves

Career Postseason Stats

.288/.411/.459, 13 HR, 47 RBI, 58 R

Overview

For a 40-year-old playing in the final season of his career, Jones was solid this season, with a .287 batting average, 14 home runs and 62 RBI in 387 at-bats.

Jones will look to put the finishing touches on his Hall of Fame career, and with a good postseason track record and a solid season in the books, expect Chipper to go out with a bang.

Choke or Clutch?

Clutch

3B Ryan Zimmerman, Washington Nationals

Career Postseason Stats

N/A

Overview

The Nationals got very little from their $100 million man in the first half, as he hit just .243 with eight home runs and 40 RBI and missed a significant chunk of playing time with injury.

He righted the ship in the second half, though, hitting .319 with 17 home runs and 55 RBI, as he remains one of the faces of the franchise. Pitching is what got the Nationals this far, but some clutch run-producing could push them over the top, and Zimmerman will be the man to deliver.

Choke or Clutch?

Clutch

LF Yoenis Cespedes, Oakland Athletics

Career Postseason Stats

N/A

Overview

After trading Gio Gonzalez and Trevor Cahill in the offseason, the A's looked like they were going to enter the season lacking a true star player. That was until the team signed Cuban phenom Yoenis Cespedes to a four-year, $36 million deal.

After an up-and-down first half, he's really hit his stride in the second half with a .311 batting average, 14 home runs, 46 RBI and a .909 OPS. Given his infamous workout video prior to him signing with the A's, he's clearly not one to shy away from the spotlight, and my guess is he steps up big in October.

Choke or Clutch?

Clutch

LF Matt Holliday, St. Louis Cardinals

Career Postseason Stats

.278/.361/.500, 7 HR, 16 RBI, 20 R

Overview

Holliday was one of the few key Cardinals performers that managed to stay healthy all season, and he ended the year with a solid .295 batting average with 27 home runs and 102 RBI.

However, after he was a legitimate MVP candidate midsummer, he struggled down the stretch and hit just .252 with eight home runs and 32 RBI from the start of August. Combined with his poor performance in the World Series last year, that leads me to think he's more likely to be a bust.

Choke or Clutch?

Choke

CF Curtis Granderson, New York Yankees

Career Postseason Stats

.267/.375/.535, 5 HR, 16 RBI, 15 R

Overview

Granderson watched his average dip to a career-low .232 this season, with a high strikeout rate (195 Ks) once again the culprit. His power was still there, as he topped the 40-home run mark for the second straight season, but a .319 on-base percentage leaves him hitting near the bottom of the Yankees lineup.

He enters the playoffs hot, having homered three times in the final three-game series against the Red Sox, but his low contact rate is enough for me to predict a poor postseason.

Choke or Clutch?

Choke

CF Josh Hamilton, Texas Rangers

Career Postseason Stats

.234/.303/.438, 6 HR, 22 RBI, 18 R

Overview

Hamilton started the season on fire, with 21 home runs and 57 RBI over the first two months of the season. However, he slumped to open the second half and was streaky throughout the season's final months.

He hit just .245 from September 1 on and has been in and out of the lineup of late, so don't expect him to be in his early-season form. My best guess is that he hits a handful of home runs but posts a very low average.

Choke or Clutch?

Choke

CF Bryce Harper, Washington Nationals

Career Postseason Stats

N/A

Overview

While his rookie season paled in comparison to that of Angels phenom Mike Trout, Harper still has plenty of star power and enjoyed a solid rookie season with a .270 batting average, 22 home runs, 59 RBIs and 18 stolen bases.

For many baseball fans, this will be their first extended look at the 19-year-old, and there will be plenty of pressure on him to perform. While I wouldn't be surprised if he had a big postseason, my guess is he presses a bit and posts less-than-great numbers as a result.

Choke or Clutch?

Choke

CF Adam Jones, Baltimore Orioles

Career Postseason Stats

N/A

Overview

Jones has come up with big hits time and again for the Orioles this season, and he has been at the heart of their tremendous success in one-run games.

They'll count on him to come through again in the playoffs, and there is no reason to think his breakout season won't continue with a solid October.

Choke or Clutch?

Clutch

RF Carlos Beltran, St. Louis Cardinals

Career Postseason Stats

.366/.485/.817, 11 HR, 19 RBI, 31 R

Overview

Beltran was among the most productive sluggers in baseball during the first half of the season, earning an All-Star Game start by hitting .296 with 20 home runs and 65 RBIs.

However, he slumped to .236 batting average with 12 home runs and 32 RBIs in the second half, and he has not looked like the same hitter who essentially replaced Albert Pujols' lost production by himself in the first half.

Choke or Clutch?

Choke, though his postseason track record is enough to make me at least think twice.

SP Matt Cain, San Francisco Giants

Career Postseason Stats

3 GS, 2-0, 0.00 ERA, 13 Ks, 21.1 IP

Overview

With Tim Lincecum struggling, and even with as good as Madison Bumgarner and Ryan Vogelsong have been, there is little question that Matt Cain is the ace of the Giants staff.

He was nothing short of amazing during the team's 2010 postseason run as the No. 2 starter, and though there will be more pressure pitching in the role of ace, he's been great all season and should be more than up to the task.

Choke or Clutch?

Clutch

SP Johnny Cueto, Cincinnati Reds

Career Postseason Stats

1 GS, 0-1, 1.80 ERA, 2 Ks, 5 IP

Overview

In an abridged 24-start season in 2011, Cueto went 9-5 with a 2.31 ERA, and he proved that it was no fluke in 2012 as he went 19-9 with a 2.78 ERA and emerged as a legitimate staff ace.

He has to be viewed as a Cy Young front-runner, and the Reds' postseason success will be greatly affected by what he does when given the ball. I expect his ascent to the ranks of the game's elite to continue with a strong postseason.

Choke or Clutch?

Clutch

SP Gio Gonzalez, Washington Nationals

Career Postseason Stats

N/A

Overview

Stephen Strasburg got the headlines for much of the season, but Gonzalez put together a season that could earn him NL Cy Young honors. He went 21-8 with a 2.89 ERA and a league-best 9.3 K/9.

His 1.13 WHIP and league-best 0.4 HR/9 show just how dominant he's been this season, and with an 8-3 record and 2.27 ERA since the start of August, he was pitching some of his best baseball down the stretch.

Choke or Clutch?

Clutch

SP Tim Hudson, Atlanta Braves

Career Postseason Stats

10 G, 9 GS, 1-3, 3.46 ERA, 37 Ks, 54.2 IP

Overview

While he tends to fly under the radar a bit, Hudson continues to be an ace at the age of 36, as he has anchored a young and inexperienced Braves rotation, going 49-26 with a 3.19 ERA since the start of 2010.

He'll have the benefit of sliding to the No. 2 spot in the rotation with Kris Medlen assuming the role of ace, and he'll likely find himself in a good position matchup-wise as a result. I expect the young Braves to be led by a pair of veterans this October in Hudson and Chipper Jones.

Choke or Clutch?

Clutch

SP CC Sabathia, New York Yankees

Career Postseason Stats

16 G, 15 GS, 7-4, 4.81 ERA, 82 Ks, 86 IP

Overview

Despite two trips to the DL that limited Sabathia to just 28 starts this season, the left-hander still managed to reach the 200-innings mark as he went 15-6 with a 3.38 ERA on the year.

He's been far from lights-out during his postseason career, and he has a 5.84 ERA over his past six postseason starts. However, he looked great in his final three regular-season starts (2-0, 1.50 ERA, 28 Ks, 24 IP), and I think he'll carry that success over in the postseason.

The Yankees will need big starts out of him to set the tone.

Choke or Clutch?

Clutch

SP Justin Verlander, Detroit Tigers

Career Postseason Stats

8 GS, 3-3, 5.57 ERA, 48 Ks, 42 IP

Overview

Verlander remains arguably the best pitcher in all of baseball, and while his numbers fell short of his 2011 MVP campaign, he was terrific nonetheless with a 17-8 record with a 2.64 ERA and 239 strikeouts.

As good as he's been during the regular season, he's been consistently mediocre in the playoffs, including last year when he went 2-1 but posted a 5.31 ERA. That said, I think he takes a step forward this year and comes through big for a Tigers team that will certainly be relying heavily on him.

Choke or Clutch?

Clutch

RP Aroldis Chapman, Cincinnati Reds

Career Postseason Stats

2 G, 0-1, 0.00 ERA, 1 K, 1.2 IP

Overview

Forget his video game-like stats (1.51 ERA, 0.82 WHIP, 15.3 K/9), as on pure stuff alone, Chapman is the most electric pitcher in all of baseball.

He converted 27 of his 28 save opportunities in the second half and posted a 1.11 ERA, as he looks like a seasoned veteran in the ninth-inning role. He'll shorten games for the Reds and put on a show for baseball fans who have not seen much of the team this season.

Choke or Clutch?

Clutch

RP Craig Kimbrel, Atlanta Braves

Career Postseason Stats

4 G, 0-1, 2.08 ERA, 7 Ks, 4.1 IP

Overview

After setting the rookie saves record last season with an NL-high 46, Kimbrel has continued his ascent into the ranks of baseball's elite closers this season with another dominant campaign. He saved 42 games and posted a 1.01 ERA and 16.7 K/9.

As far as clutch moments go, his blown save on the last day of the season remains a chip on his shoulder. He'll be anxious to put that behind him and prove that he is among the best stoppers in all of baseball.

Choke or Clutch?

Clutch