MLB Playoffs 2014: Updated Schedule and Underrated Players to Watch
October breeds MLB superstars at a staggering clip.
It seems every time the playoffs hit, lesser-known players turn in epic performances beneath the bright lights of the national microscope and instantaneously catapult themselves into household-name status.
Surely, this year will be no different as a vast array of names in various situations rise to the occasion. Whether it is an elite contributor often unable to escape the shadow cast by major names in front of him, a small-market player finally stepping into a spotlight worthy of his talent or simply an unheralded, consistent player getting his due, a number of names seem poised to explode.
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Let's review the updated schedule and narrow down the list of potential breakout candidates.
2014 MLB Playoff Schedule
| ALDS | ||||
| 2 | KC at LAA | Fri., Oct. 3 | 9:30 p.m. | TBS |
| 3 | LAA at KC | Sun., Oct. 5 | 7:30 p.m. | TBS |
| 4* | LAA at KC | Mon., Oct. 6 | TBD | TBS |
| 5* | KC at LAA | Wed., Oct. 8 | TBD | TBS |
| ALDS | ||||
| 3 | BAL at DET | Sun., Oct. 5 | 3:30 p.m. | TBS |
| 4* | BAL at DET | Mon., Oct. 6 | TBD | TBS |
| 5* | DET at BAL | Wed., Oct. 8 | TBD | TBS |
| NLDS | ||||
| 2 | SF Giants at WSH | Sat., Oct. 4 | 5:30 p.m. | FS1 |
| 3 | WSH at SF Giants | Mon., Oct. 6 | TBA | MLB Network |
| 4* | WSH at SF Giants | Tues., Oct. 7 | TBA | FS1 |
| 5* | SF Giants at WSH | Thurs., Oct. 9 | TBA | FS1 |
| NLDS | ||||
| 1 | STL at LAD | Fri., Oct. 3 | 6:30 p.m. | FS1 |
| 2 | STL at LAD | Sat., Oct. 4 | 9:30 p.m. | MLB Network |
| 3 | LAD at STL | Mon., Oct. 6 | TBA | FS1 |
| 4* | LAD at STL | Tues., Oct. 7 | TBA | FS1 |
| 5* | STL at LAD | Thurs., Oct. 9 | TBA | FS1 |
| ALCS | ||||
| 1 | TBD vs. TBD | Fri., Oct. 10 | TBA | TBS |
| 2 | TBD vs. TBD | Sat., Oct. 11 | TBA | TBS |
| 3 | TBD vs. TBD | Mon., Oct. 13 | TBA | TBS |
| 4 | TBD vs. TBD | Tues., Oct. 14 | TBA | TBS |
| 5* | TBD vs. TBD | Wed., Oct. 15 | TBA | TBS |
| 6* | TBD vs. TBD | Fri., Oct. 17 | TBA | TBS |
| 7* | TBD vs. TBD | Sat., Oct. 18 | TBA | TBS |
| NLCS | ||||
| 1 | TBD vs. TBD | Sat., Oct. 11 | TBA | Fox |
| 2 | TBD vs. TBD | Sun., Oct. 12 | TBA | FS1 |
| 3 | TBD vs. TBD | Tues., Oct. 14 | TBA | FS1 |
| 4 | TBD vs. TBD | Wed., Oct. 15 | TBA | FS1 |
| 5* | TBD vs. TBD | Thurs., Oct. 16 | TBA | FS1 |
| 6* | TBD vs. TBD | Sat., Oct. 18 | TBA | Fox |
| 7* | TBD vs. TBD | Sun., Oct. 19 | TBA | FS1 |
| World Series | ||||
| 1 | NL Champion vs. AL Champion | Tues., Oct. 21 | TBA | Fox |
| 2 | NL Champion vs. AL Champion | Wed., Oct. 22 | TBA | Fox |
| 3 | AL Champion vs. NL Champion | Fri., Oct. 24 | TBA | Fox |
| 4 | AL Champion vs. NL Champion | Sat., Oct. 25 | TBA | Fox |
| 5* | AL Champion vs. NL Champion | Sun., Oct. 26 | TBA | Fox |
| 6* | NL Champion vs. AL Champion | Tues., Oct. 28 | TBA | Fox |
| 7* | NL Champion vs. AL Champion | Wed., Oct. 29 | TBA | Fox |
Visit MLB.com for an updated postseason bracket.
Doug Fister, P, Washington Nationals
Believe it or not, a man who leads his team in the win column continues to fly a tad under the radar.
That ends immediately.
Ask casual fans who the Washington Nationals trot to the mound, and the first two names that come to mind are Stephen Strasburg and Jordan Zimmermann. Rightfully so, but the No. 3 in the rotation, 30-year-old Doug Fister, has two more wins than both at 16-6 to go along with a superb 2.41 ERA, 1.08 WHIP and 98 strikeouts to 24 free passes.
Not bad for a guy who was obtained last December in exchange for a hodgepodge of names from the Detroit Tigers.
Fister is the No. 3 guy against the San Francisco Giants in the National League Division Series, and if his recent form is any indication, he will turn in a great performance. Paul Sporer of Baseball Prospectus provides the numbers:
Included in those numbers is his final start of the year in which he struck out nine and tallied his second career shutout in a win over Florida.
The importance of Fister to the Nationals' chances of even getting out of the NLDS cannot be understated. He was a force on the road this season en route to half of his win total, whereas Strasburg struggled away from Nationals Park. Thanks to Fister's performances on the road, other great hurlers can pitch from the comforts of home.
Should Fister get a win in AT&T Park, he will instantly become one of the first names most think of in regard to the Nationals.
Steve Pearce, 1B, Baltimore Orioles
Steve Pearce knows a thing or two about seizing an opportunity and never looking back.
The 31-year-old veteran was released by Baltimore earlier in the season, only to decide it needed him a few days later after some injury issues. For his part, Pearce felt no animosity over the matter and was ready to prove all involved wrong.
"Ever since then, I thought this place is great," Pearce said, per Eduardo A. Encina of The Baltimore Sun. "They gave me a shot. They did what they said they were going to do. I understand business decisions have to be made, but they said, 'Hey we're going to keep you in mind if something happens.' They didn't have to."
Pearce is now one of the focal points of the Baltimore attack and is primed to become a household name. He hit a .293/.373/.556 slash line in the regular season and knocked in 49 RBI and 21 home runs.
With names such as Manny Machado out of the picture, Pearce's stunning consistency at the plate will continue to be a boon for the Orioles and solidify his status around the league.
"Continue" being the key word, because Pearce has already been a critical element in the Orioles taking a 2-0 advantage over the Detroit Tigers. He grabbed two hits in the first game and another with an RBI in the second.
Believe it or not, Pearce seems to be just getting started.
Kole Calhoun, OF, Los Angeles Angels
Slowly but surely, Kole Calhoun is capturing the imagination of fans around the globe.
He just needed to emerge from the collective shadows of Mike Trout, Albert Pujols, Josh Hamilton, David Freese and a host of others.
No biggie, right? For those who dabble seriously in statistics, the writing was on the wall that Calhoun was sooner or later going to get his recognition. All he's done as of late is hit .285/.339/.461 with 14 homers and 52 RBI in his last 453 at-bats.
The momentum has already carried to the postseason. In a miserable 3-2 Game 1 loss to the Kansas City Royals, the star-studded lineup fell flat, leaving only Calhoun as the standout at the plate thanks to his pair of hits in five trips to the box—and the complexion of the game may have been a lot different had Lorenzo Cain not made an epic play at the wall to rob him of a potential home run.
As the leadoff man for a host of great players, his efforts will surely not go widely unnoticed much longer thanks to the stage. Of course, those names behind him must produce when he sets them up nicely in order for the Angels to advance.
For Calhoun, the opportunity to storm to stardom is certainly there. So far, so good.
Stats and info via Baseball-Reference.com unless otherwise specified.
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