Ranking the Most Surprising Impact Players of the 2015 MLB Division Series
Every MLB postseason, a handful of unheralded players come up with the biggest plays for their teams. Over the next few slides, we'll rank the most surprising impact players of the 2015 division series.
Obviously, each player on the list touts an impressive October stat line. But this list is as much about what the players are doing now as it is about how they got to this point in the first place.
Take Jorge Soler for example. The Chicago Cubs outfielder missed significant time down the stretch due to an oblique injury that forced him into a platoon situation heading into the postseason. Soler didn't even start in Chicago's first two games, which makes his impact even more impressive.
Other players like Jake Diekman, Stephen Piscotty and Kevin Pillar have made the most of the October spotlight. In Diekman's case, he's proving that he was much more than a throw-in in the Cole Hamels trade. As for Piscotty and Pillar, both players have picked up the slack for their more talented teammates.
Let us know what you think in the comment section below. How unlikely is it that the players on this list have dominated in October? What other players have shocked you with their play?
Stars are made every October. Let's take a look at a few players taking that next step during this postseason.
Honorable Mentions
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Here are a few players that just missed the cut:
Curtis Granderson
Granderson has capped off a fantastic 2015 season by slashing .545/.615/.727 with five RBI in the postseason. The veteran outfielder was arguably the Mets MVP this year though, which made his playoff contribution less of a surprise.
Kyle Schwarber
One of a handful of talented Cubs rookies, Schwarber has hit three postseason homers and is slashing .538/.600/1.231. There's no doubt he's made an impact, but his elite prospect status keeps him just off the list.
Rougned Odor
After a demotion earlier in the season, Odor established himself as the Texas Rangers everyday second baseman. In the postseason, he's impressed with his power, glove and baserunning ability. Yet, a relatively pedestrian stat line pushes him into the honorable mentions.
5. Kevin Pillar
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Toronto Blue Jays fans know that outfielder Kevin Pillar is an outstanding defender. In 2015, Pillar's 14 DRS ranked 13th among all major leaguers.
Yet Pillar's offensive game had yet to really flourish entering the postseason. The 26-year-old did set career highs in virtually every offensive category, but he still posted an on-base percentage of .314.
A four-game stretch in the postseason doesn't mean more than a full season's worth of data, but Pillar has put it all together in October. The outfielder is slashing .412/.412/.706 with a homer and four RBI in 17 plate appearances in the playoffs.
Pillar's defense hasn't taken a hit during his offensive surge either. He's made several key catches, including this running grab in Game 3. Whether it's offensively or defensively, Pillar's singular goal is to make an impact.
"If I've got to do it with the bat or the glove, whatever it takes for me to be in the lineup any day -- I'll take it," Pillar told Gregory Strong of the Canadian Press.
Most fans expected Pillar to continue to his handy glove work in October, but his contribution offensively is what pushes him onto this list. In a lineup with Josh Donaldson, Jose Bautista, Edwin Encarnacion and Troy Tulowitzki, Pillar has managed to shine when the lights are brightest.
4. Stephen Piscotty
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The St. Louis Cardinals saw their 2015 season end prematurely at the hands of the Chicago Cubs, but rookie Stephen Piscotty proved he belongs in the major leagues by capping off a fine season with standout production in October.
Piscotty earned a spot on the postseason roster by raking in 2015. The 24-year-old slashed .305/.359/.494 in 63 games for the Cardinals, hitting seven homers and driving in 29 runs. The versatile youngster also played multiple positions down the stretch.
October didn't scare Piscotty away. In four games, he hit three homers and drove in six runs. The Cardinals really needed a boost offensively in the NLDS, and Piscotty was able to provide that while taking in his first postseason experience.
Ironically, Piscotty almost missed the postseason after a late-season collision caused him to sit out the final games of the year. Upon his return, the Cardinals used him in multiple scenarios knowing that he could handle it.
"We throw him in a position where he hasn't had a lot of repetition and he does a great job," manager Mike Matheny told Eddie Matz of ESPN.com. "He's got great baseball IQ. He makes incredible adjustments for a young player. He knows he has a lot to learn, and he's wanting to learn, and he has the aptitude to make it all happen. It's just been fun to watch him."
With the Cardinals eliminated, it's hard to push Piscotty to the top of this list. But he made as much of an impact as he could in just four games, which makes him worthy of a spot on the list.
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3. Colby Rasmus
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Colby Rasmus played his first full season in 2009, so it's hard to classify the Houston Astros outfielder as a breakout player from the postseason.
Yet did anyone really expect Rasmus to be the best hitter in baseball in October? In five games, he's slashing .500/.667/1.429 with four homers and six RBI. Small sample size or not, those numbers are impressive.
Rasmus didn't change his approach much in his first and maybe only season in Houston. The 29-year-old mashed plenty of homers but hit just .238 and posted an on-base percentage of .314. Rasmus' biggest issue throughout his career has been high strikeout totals. He whiffed over 30 percent of the time for the second straight season in 2015.
Rasmus has struck out four times in the playoffs, but he's also been able to coax seven walks in addition to his seven hits. David Golebiewski of GammonsDaily.com notes that Rasmus' improvements in those areas is all about plate discipline:
"During the regular season, Rasmus swung at pitches thrown outside of the zone about 28% of the time. Since the playoffs started, he has cut his chase rate in half (14%). If you remove the intentional free pass, he’s still swinging at would-be balls just 15%. By swinging at fewer junk pitches, Rasmus has managed to boost his contact rate (32% miss rate during the regular season, 25% during the playoffs) and reduce his strikeouts (32% K rate during the regular season, 19% in October).
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Most baseball fans are aware of Rasmus and his elite physical tools, but nobody could have foreseen this type of production in October. His established status as an everyday major leaguer is the only thing keeping him from the top spot of this list.
2. Jake Diekman
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Cole Hamels has been everything the Texas Rangers dealt for at the trade deadline, but a throw-in relief pitcher has been just as important to the team's postseason success.
Jake Diekman has been electric in three postseason appearances. The flame-throwing left-hander has allowed just one earned run in five innings of work, striking out five and walking none.
On one hand, Diekman's success is easy to comprehend. The 28-year-old has a power arsenal complete with a fastball that touches triple digits and a slider that ranges from 80-98 mph. He also has an unorthodox delivery that gives both lefties and righties an uncomfortable at-bat.
However, Diekman struggled with command throughout 2015. He struck out over 26 percent of the batters he faced this season but walked nearly 12 percent of those same hitters. Diekman ranked 11th in terms of highest walk percentage among relievers.
Earlier in the year, Diekman was even demoted while with the Philadelphia Phillies. Instead of moping, Diekman worked hard to return to the majors and is being rewarded for that positive attitude.
"After he got sent down, he grinded his way back and ever since has been here with a vengeance," Hamels told Gerry Fraley of the Dallas Morning News. "He's one of the most talented left-handers that I've seen, with the stuff he has and how funky his delivery is. He definitely stops guys in their tracks."
The Rangers ranked 24th in bullpen ERA, by far the worst mark among playoff teams. Diekman's emergence in the postseason has given Texas a much-needed weapon to help lock down tight games.
1. Jorge Soler
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It's not overly shocking that a player as talented as Jorge Soler has made an impact in the postseason, but the talented outfielder didn't exactly finish the season playing his best ball.
Soler missed nearly a month of games after going on the disabled list with an oblique injury on August 23. The outfielder didn't return to the lineup until September 18, splitting playing time with various other Cubs outfielders. In 11 games, Soler hit just .217 in his return from injury.
The Cubs didn't start Soler in either of their first two postseason games, only adding to the unlikelihood of his contribution. But the 23-year-old made the most of a Game 2 start in St. Louis, hitting a homer and driving in two runs to help Chicago even the series with a 6-3 victory.
In all, Soler reached base in his first nine postseason plate appearances with four hits—two of which have left the yard—and five walks. That's an MLB record, folks.
The biggest difference in Soler this October is plate discipline. For a player who walked under 8 percent of the time this season, Soler is sitting on the borderline only to punish mistakes when pitchers are forced to throw strikes.
“His at-bats are awesome,’’ Cubs third baseman Kris Bryant told Daryl Van Schouwen of the Chicago Sun-Times. “He’s seeing the ball really, really good, taking borderline pitches and he’s not missing his pitch when he gets it.’’
Soler has jaw-dropping raw gifts and figures to be an impact player in the majors for the foreseeable future. But even the most loyal Cubs fans wouldn't have predicted he'd provide this type of production after a forgettable 2015.
Stats courtesy of FanGraphs and accurate as of Oct. 14.
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