Ranking the Top 20 MLB Postseason Performers Thus Far
With the championship series set to kick off Friday night with Game 1 of the American League Championship Series, we have one last chance to reflect on a memorable division series before what should be another thrilling round of games gets underway.
There have been no shortage of postseason heroes to emerge already this October, with so many close and extra-inning games being played in both leagues, but there have been some clear standouts both at the plate and on the mound.
What follows is a look at the top 20 postseason performers thus far, with the rankings based on their overall statistics this October. Clutch performance was also taken into account, as that really is what the playoffs are all about.
While the obvious goal is to advance to the World Series, players from teams that have been eliminated were also considered for these rankings.
Think of this simply as a look at the 20 best individual performers of the 2014 postseason thus far.
Honorable Mentions: Hitters
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SS Erick Aybar, Los Angeles Angels
3 G, 5-for-11, 1 2B, 0 BB, 1 K
Aybar did his part at the plate, but he was the only real standout for the Angels, as the team with baseball's best record came up small in the American League Division Series.
SS Brandon Crawford, San Francisco Giants
5 G, 6-for-22, 1 2B, 1 HR, 5 RBI, 2 R, 1 BB, 6 K
Crawford had the big blow in the team's Wild Card Game, launching a grand slam that was more than enough offensive support for ace Madison Bumgarner.
RF Matt Kemp, Los Angeles Dodgers
4 G, 6-for-17, 1 HR, 2 RBI, 1 R, 0 BB, 3 K
One of the hottest hitters in baseball down the stretch, Kemp delivered a game-winning solo home run in the eighth inning of Game 3, answering a Matt Carpenter home run and giving the Dodgers their only win in the series.
LF J.D. Martinez, Detroit Tigers
3 G, 3-for-12, 1 2B, 2 HR, 5 RBI, 2 R, 0 BB, 4 K
Martinez made the most of his three hits, with a double and two home runs, putting him among the total base and RBI leaders to this point in the postseason.
DH Brandon Moss, Oakland Athletics
1 G, 2-for-5, 2 HR, 5 RBI, 2 R, 1 BB, 2 K
Moss did everything in his power to advance the A's beyond the Wild Card Game, hitting a pair of home runs, including a three-run shot off of Yordano Ventura as the first batter he faced.
C Buster Posey, San Francisco Giants
5 G, 9-for-23, 2 RBI, 1 R, 1 BB, 1 K
Posey led all of baseball in WAR during the second half of the season, and he stayed plenty productive at the plate in the team's National League Division Series victory.
2B Kolten Wong, St. Louis Cardinals
3 G, 2-for-11, 1 2B, 1 HR, 2 RBI, 1 R, 0 BB, 2 K
Wong hit just .182 in the division series, but one of his two hits was a game-winning two-run shot off of lefty reliever Scott Elbert in Game 3. That's enough for him to at least earn an honorable mention.
LF Delmon Young, Baltimore Orioles
2 G, 1-for-4, 1 2B, 3 RBI, 0 BB, 2 K
Young delivered the big blow in Game 2 of the Orioles' ALDS matchup, hitting a pinch-hit three-run double in the bottom of the eighth to give the team a 7-6 victory.
Honorable Mentions: Pitchers
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RP Andrew Miller, Baltimore Orioles
2 G, 2 HLD, 3.1 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 3 K
The Orioles paid a steep price to land Miller at the trade deadline, and he has been a serious weapon out of their bullpen since joining the team. The ALDS was no different, as he was lights-out in his two appearances.
SP Jake Peavy, San Francisco Giants
1 GS, 5.2 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 3 BB, 3 K
Peavy ran into trouble in the sixth inning of what was an otherwise brilliant start in Game 1, and his bullpen came on to keep things scoreless. A home run by Bryce Harper off of Hunter Strickland the following inning cost Peavy the win, but it was a great outing nonetheless.
SP David Price, Detroit Tigers
1 GS, L, 8.0 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 6 K
With the Tigers facing elimination, Price pitched well enough to earn the win, but Bud Norris and the Orioles bullpen pitched better and he wound up being the tough-luck loser.
SP Yordano Ventura, Kansas City Royals
2 G, 1 GS, 7.1 IP, 7 H, 3 ER, 1 BB, 5 K
After coughing up the lead in the Wild Card Game by allowing a three-run home run to Brandon Moss, the first batter he faced in relief of James Shields, Ventura bounced back with a great start in the ALDS. He allowed five hits and one earned run in seven innings of work, earning a no-decision.
20. SP Madison Bumgarner, San Francisco Giants
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Postseason Stats
2 GS, W, L, 16.0 IP, 10 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 16 K
Overview
Were it not for a throwing error that ended up costing the Giants the game in Game 3 of the NLDS, there's a good chance Madison Bumgarner would have cracked the top five in these rankings, but he is still more than deserving of a spot.
The left-hander took the ball in the Wild Card Game and absolutely dominated the Pittsburgh Pirates, striking out 10 in a complete-game four-hit shutout to send the Giants on to the NLDS.
That dominance continued in Game 3. He allowed just four hits and no runs over the first six innings. However, after the first two batters of the seventh reached, Wilson Ramos dropped down a sacrifice bunt and Bumgarner threw the ball out into left field trying to cut down the lead runner at third.
Three runs would go on to score in the inning, and Bumgarner would take the loss. Chances are it was catcher Buster Posey's call on where the throw went, but Bumgarner refused to point fingers after the game. In the end, no harm was done, as the Giants would advance with a Game 4 win.
Even with that misstep, Bumgarner is still one of the best pitchers in the game today and a serious hurdle for the Cardinals in the National League Championship Series.
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19. 1B Matt Adams, St. Louis Cardinals
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Postseason Stats
4 G, 3-for-12, 1 HR, 4 RBI, 2 R, 3 BB, 2 K
Overview
A .190 hitter against left-handed pitching during the regular season, Adams picked up an RBI single against Clayton Kershaw in Game 1, the fourth consecutive hit that he allowed. Adams would come around to score later in the inning when Matt Carpenter delivered a three-run double.
However, the big blow came in Game 4, when Adams stepped to the plate with two men on and the Cardinals trailing 2-0.
Kershaw had allowed just one hit heading into the inning, but back-to-back singles to open the seventh had him facing some trouble. Adams made him pay when he launched a curveball into the Cardinals bullpen in right field.
It was the first home run Kershaw had ever allowed to a left-hander on his curveball, and it would hold up to be the game-winner, as the Cardinals clinched the series with a 3-2 victory.
18. 3B Mike Moustakas, Kansas City Royals
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Postseason Stats
4 G, 4-for-14, 2 HR, 2 RBI, 4 R, 1 BB, 2 K
Overview
It was another trying season at the plate for Mike Moustakas, who hit .212/.271/.361 with 15 home runs and 54 RBI. His season included a brief demotion to the minor leagues at the end of May, as he was hitting just .152/.223/.320 over his first 125 at-bats, and he ended the season hitting No. 8 in the team's lineup.
All of that was forgotten with one swing of the bat in Game 1 of the ALDS, as he hit a go-ahead home run off of Angels reliever Kevin Jepsen to lead off the 11th inning, propelling the Royals to a 3-2 victory.
He added a solo shot in the fourth inning of Game 3, and if he can stay dialed in at the plate, it would give the bottom of the Royals order a major boost.
17. SP Tim Hudson, San Francisco Giants
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Postseason Stats
1 GS, ND, 7.1 IP, 7 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 8 K
Overview
Tim Hudson looked like one of the best free-agent signings of the year in the first half, as he went 7-6 with a 2.87 ERA to earn his fourth career All-Star appearance.
He was a different pitcher in the second half, though, going just 2-7 with a 4.73 ERA, and he was a legitimate question mark heading into his Game 2 start in the NLDS.
Those questions were quickly answered, as he matched a locked-in Jordan Zimmermann pitch for pitch over his 7.1 innings of work.
An RBI single to Anthony Rendon in the third inning of that game was the only damage done against him. It looked like he was headed for a tough-luck loss, but the offense came through with two outs in the ninth, and Brandon Belt gave the Giants the win hours later in the top of the 18th.
16. SP John Lackey, St. Louis Cardinals
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Postseason Stats
1 GS, W, 7.0 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 8 K
Overview
When the Cardinals decided to deal Allen Craig and Joe Kelly to the Boston Red Sox for veteran right-hander John Lackey at the trade deadline, the deal was made with the postseason in mind.
At this point, there are not many situations that the 35-year-old has not pitched in, and he is currently the active leader with 111.0 postseason innings under his belt.
That included a terrific outing in the pivotal Game 3 of this year's NLDS. Lackey allowed just five hits and one run through seven innings, earning the win when Kolten Wong delivered a go-ahead two-run blast in the bottom of the eighth.
Lackey is the only pitcher to ever win the clinching game of a World Series with two different teams. He could have a chance to make it three this year, but a strong showing in the NLCS will be the next step.
15. CF Lorenzo Cain, Kansas City Royals
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Postseason Stats
4 G, 4-for-19, 1 2B, 3 RBI, 4 R, 0 BB, 3 K
Overview
He has not done much at the plate hitting out of the No. 3 spot in the Royals lineup, but Lorenzo Cain has done more than enough with his glove to earn a spot in these rankings.
Let's run through some video for those who may have missed them the first time around.
- Leaping catch to rob Kole Calhoun of extra bases in Game 1
- Sliding catch to rob Erick Aybar of a base hit in Game 1
- Diving catch to rob Albert Pujols of a base hit in Game 3
- Sliding catch to rob Howie Kendrick of a base hit on the next play in Game 3
Defense often goes overlooked during the regular season, but what Cain has done in center field this October has opened more than a few eyes and no doubt played a big part in the Royals advancing to the ALCS.
14. RP Santiago Casilla, San Francisco Giants
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Postseason Stats
3 G, 2-for-2 SV, 3.0 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 2 K
Overview
One of the better setup men in the game the past several seasons, Santiago Casilla finally got his chance to close games this year when Sergio Romo struggled early. After moving to the ninth-inning role at the beginning of July, Casilla converted 17 of 18 save chances with a 2.42 ERA the rest of the way.
That included a dominant final month in which he was 5-of-5 on saves with a 1.13 ERA and .077 opponents batting average, and that has carried over into October.
The 34-year-old picked up a pair of one-run saves and also threw a scoreless inning in the team's 18-inning win in Game 2. A lone walk was the only baserunner he allowed in three innings of work.
13. RP Greg Holland, Kansas City Royals
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Postseason Stats
4 G, 2-for-2 SV, 4.0 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 3 BB, 7 K
Overview
The Royals bullpen as a whole has been as good as advertised this postseason, and closer Greg Holland has only furthered his case for being called the best closer in baseball.
Holland was 46-of-48 on save chances during the regular season, adding a 1.44 ERA, 0.914 WHIP and 13.0 K/9 for a season that should see him receive legitimate AL Cy Young consideration.
He was shaky pitching in a tied game in the ninth inning of the Wild Card Game, walking three in his one inning of work, but he managed to escape unscathed.
That was followed by an absolutely dominant ALDS, as he did not allow a baserunner in his three appearances, striking out six in three innings and nailing down both of his save chances.
12. 3B Anthony Rendon, Washington Nationals
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Postseason Stats
4 G, 7-for-19, 1 RBI, 1 BB, 2 K
Overview
Anthony Rendon was a breakout star during the regular season, and that carried over to his first postseason appearance, as he was one of the few productive Nationals hitters alongside slugger Bryce Harper.
In his first full season in the majors this year, Rendon hit .287/.351/.473 with 39 doubles and 21 home runs for a 6.5 WAR that ranked second among NL position players.
Hitting out of the No. 2 spot in the lineup, he did his part as a table-setter, but the team's middle-of-the-order bats were unable to come through and drive him in.
11. C A.J. Ellis, Los Angeles Dodgers
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Postseason Stats
4 G, 7-for-13, 1 2B, 1 HR, 2 RBI, 4 R, 4 BB, 1 K
Overview
A .191 hitter in 283 at-bats during the regular season, A.J. Ellis never had more than 12 hits in a single month during the regular season. He wound up with seven in just four games hitting out of the No. 8 spot in the Dodgers lineup during the NLDS.
Ellis looked like a different hitter from the onset, going 4-for-5 with a two-run home run and three runs scored in Game 1. The veteran backstop added a double and a run scored in Game 2, was 1-for-3 with a walk in Game 3 and was 1-for-2 with a pair of walks in Game 3.
Not too shabby from a sub-.200 hitter.
10. 1B Brandon Belt, San Francisco Giants
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Postseason Stats
5 G, 7-for-21, 1 HR, 5 RBI, 2 R, 3 BB, 4 K
Overview
Brandon Belt was relatively quiet during the Giants' run to the World Series in 2012, going a combined 9-for-49 (.184 BA) in the postseason with one home run and two RBI in 15 total games. He's already topped that RBI total and has nearly as many hits in five games this time around, and no hit was bigger than his go-ahead home run in Game 2.
That blow came in the top of the 18th inning, as the Giants went from one out away from being shut out by Jordan Zimmermann to up 2-0 in the NLDS with the series moving to San Francisco.
A thumb injury and a concussion limited Belt to just 61 games during the regular season, but now that he's healthy, he has a chance to make a serious impact on the team's postseason run this time around.
9. SP Bud Norris, Baltimore Orioles
14 of 22
Postseason Stats
1 GS, W, 6.1 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 6 K
Overview
Bud Price was originally scheduled to start Game 4, but the Orioles instead bumped him up to a potential series-clinching Game 3, matching him up against left-hander David Price. Price pitched well, allowing five hits and two runs in eight innings of work, but Norris bested him with 6.1 innings of two-hit shutout ball before turning it over to the bullpen.
Norris flew under the radar for the most part this year, but he quietly had the best season of his career, going 15-8 with a 3.65 ERA and 1.216 WHIP.
With the series shifting to a best-of-seven format, he could be in line to make a pair of starts in the ALCS, depending on how far the series goes. The Orioles would definitely benefit from another start or two like the one he gave them in the ALDS.
8. LF Bryce Harper, Washington Nationals
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Postseason Stats
4 G, 5-for-17, 1 2B, 3 HR, 4 RBI, 4 R, 2 BB, 3 K
Overview
It's easy to forget sometimes that Bryce Harper is still only 21 years old.
The young outfielder was a dud in his first postseason appearance back in 2012, going 3-for-23 in the Nationals' NLDS loss to the Cardinals, so he had something to prove in his second go-around.
He kicked things off in impressive fashion, crushing an upper-deck shot off of hard-throwing reliever Hunter Strickland in Game 1, and he added a second home run in Game 3 to give the Nationals an insurance run in a must-win game.
Harper's Game 4 performance is what earns him a spot so high on this list, though.
He accounted for all of the Nationals' offense in a 3-2 loss, with an RBI double in the fifth and a solo home run into McCovey Cove in the seventh that briefly tied the game. That wasn't enough, though, as the Nationals bowed out in the NLDS once again.
7. SP Doug Fister, Washington Nationals
16 of 22
Postseason Stats
1 GS, W, 7.0 IP, 4 H, 0 ER, 3 BB, 3 K
Overview
For many teams, Doug Fister would have been a Game 1 starter after going 16-6 with a 2.41 ERA and 1.08 WHIP in his first season in Washington. Instead, he took the ball in Game 3, and that turned out to be an elimination game after the Nationals dropped the first two games of their series with the wild card San Francisco Giants.
Fister had no shortage of postseason experience and success from his time with the Detroit Tigers, and he came through once again, allowing just four hits in seven shutout innings to pick up the win. With that, the big right-hander is now 4-1 with a 1.78 ERA in eight career postseason starts. While the Nationals wound up bowing out in the first round once again, Fister certainly did his part.
6. SP Zack Greinke, Los Angeles Dodgers
17 of 22
Postseason Stats
1 GS, ND, 7.0 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 7 K
Overview
He sometimes gets lost in the shadow of Clayton Kershaw, but Zack Greinke is an awfully good pitcher in his own right, and he would be the ace of most other staffs around the league.
After an emotional Game 1 loss, Greinke did a great job swinging the momentum back in the Dodgers' favor in Game 2, baffling the Cardinals hitters in allowing just two hits and two walks over seven shutout innings. He also chipped in at the plate, going 2-for-3 and scoring a run, and he departed in the eighth with the Dodgers leading 2-0 and looking to even up the series.
Reliever J.P. Howell came on looking to hold that lead, but instead, he allowed a game-tying two-run home run to Matt Carpenter in the bottom of the eighth. Matt Kemp salvaged the game with a solo shot of his own en route to a 3-2 Dodgers win, but Greinke wound up with a no-decision.
5. DH Nelson Cruz, Baltimore Orioles
18 of 22
Postseason Stats
3 G, 6-for-12, 2 HR, 5 RBI, 4 R, 0 BB, 3 K
Overview
Postseason success is nothing new for Nelson Cruz. He entered this year's playoffs with 14 home runs and 27 RBI in 34 career playoff games. That included a six-homer, 13-RBI performance in the 2011 ALCS to win MVP honors and lead the Texas Rangers to the World Series.
After leading all of baseball with 40 home runs during the regular season, Cruz was at it again in the ALDS, hitting a pair of long balls and leading the Orioles with six hits in 12 at-bats.
The Orioles locked up free-agent-to-be J.J. Hardy with a three-year, $40 million deal Thursday, and they are reportedly making a push to bring back Cruz as well, according to a tweet from Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports.
4. SP Jordan Zimmermann, Washington Nationals
19 of 22
Postseason Stats
1 GS, ND, 8.2 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 6 K
Overview
After no-hitting the Miami Marlins on the final day of the regular season, Nationals right-hander Jordan Zimmermann was at the top of his game once again in Game 2 of the NLDS. He allowed just three hits through the first eight innings of the game, and he took the mound in the ninth looking to finish off a complete-game shutout that would even up the series at 1-1.
A Matt Duffy strikeout and a Gregor Blanco flyout left him one out away, but he allowed a walk to Joe Panik on his 100th pitch of the game. That was enough for manager Matt Williams to pull the trigger on pulling him for closer Drew Storen, despite the fact that Zimmermann had retired 20 in a row prior to the walk.
Storen promptly surrendered the lead with back-to-back hits allowed, and the Nationals went on to lose in 18 innings, squandering what was the most dominant start of the postseason to that point.
3. RP Yusmeiro Petit, San Francisco Giants
20 of 22
Postseason Stats
1 G, W, 6.0 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 3 BB, 7 K
Overview
Yusmeiro Petit opened the season as the Giants' long reliever, and after making a handful of spot starts throughout the year, he finally joined the rotation full time at the end of August in place of a struggling Tim Lincecum.
In six starts to close out the year, he went 2-2 with a 3.93 ERA, but he was back in the bullpen for the postseason.
His lone appearance in the NLDS came in the 18-inning marathon that was Game 2, as he entered the game in the bottom of the 12th looking to give the Giants multiple innings.
The big right-hander wound up throwing six innings in relief, allowing just one hit and picking up the win when Belt finally snapped the tie in the top of the 18th.
"It's one of the best games I've ever been a part of," catcher Buster Posey told reporters, via MLB.com, after the game. "The job Petit did was incredible. To throw as many pitches, as many innings as he did and keep them off the board, it was incredible. I can't say enough about how good our pitching was."
Petit essentially gave the Giants a quality start; it just happened to come in relief, with the game on the line each inning.
2. 1B Eric Hosmer, Kansas City Royals
21 of 22
Postseason Stats
4 G, 7-for-14, 1 2B, 1 3B, 2 HR, 5 RBI, 5 R, 5 BB, 4 K
Overview
Eric Hosmer picking up the $12,000 tab at a local Kansas City bar while celebrating with teammates and fans after the team's series-clinching win would be enough for him to earn a spot on this list, but he was also pretty good on the field.
He tripled in the bottom of the 12th in the Wild Card Game, scoring the tying run before Salvador Perez delivered the game-winning single, as the Royals came from behind twice in that game to reach the ALDS.
He then delivered a game-winning two-run home run in the top of the 11th in Game 2 of the ALDS, and he added a two-run home run in the team's 8-3 victory in Game 3.
All told, he was 3-for-5 in late/close situations and 1-for-3 with runners in scoring position. He has been clutch in his first postseason appearance.
1. 3B Matt Carpenter, St. Louis Cardinals
22 of 22
Postseason Stats
4 G, 6-for-16, 3 2B, 3 HR, 7 RBI, 4 R, 1 BB, 4 K
Overview
Really, who else could it be but Matt Carpenter for the top spot in these rankings?
The Cardinals third baseman came up with one big hit after another in the team's NLDS matchup, and most of his damage came against left-handed pitching. He had a solo home run in the sixth inning of Game 1, then hit a three-run double in the seventh to chase Kershaw and give the Cardinals the lead.
He followed that up with a game-tying two-run home run off of lefty reliever J.P. Howell in Game 2 and added a solo home run off of Hyun-Jin Ryu to open the scoring in Game 3.
After hitting just two home runs against left-handed pitching all season over 183 at-bats, Carpenter had three in three nights.
Unless otherwise noted, all stats courtesy of Baseball-Reference, and accurate through Thursday, Oct. 9.
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