MLB Playoffs: Ranking the Greatest Moments of the Last Decade

The 2020 Major League Baseball postseason isn't over yet, but there's already been one moment that ranks among the greatest playoff moments of the last decade.

We know this because we ranked the 15 best of the best.

We defined "the last decade" to mean 2011-2020 and considered in what game and situation that specific moments took place, as well as their significance in the grander schemes of recent and all-time MLB history. Sheer memorability was still another factor, though we limited ourselves to one (very obvious) World Series final out.

As far as what we weren't looking for, it's important to note that we drew a line between "moments" and "performances." As in, we narrowed our focus to events that occurred within minutes and even seconds, as opposed to hours.

Now then, let's count 'em down.

15. 2016 AL Wild Card Game: Edwin Encarnacion Walks It off in the 11th

After winning the American League East title in 2015, the Toronto Blue Jays had to settle for a mere wild-card berth in 2016.

All that got them was a spot in a one-game playoff opposite the Baltimore Orioles for the right to move on to the American League Division Series. And though they had home-field advantage at the Rogers Centre, the Blue Jays' typically mighty offense was unable to best Baltimore's two runs within regulation.

That changed in the 11th inning when Edwin Encarnacion, who had cranked 42 home runs in the regular season, faced Ubaldo Jimenez with a man out and runners on first and third. Jimenez put a 91 mph fastball right down the middle, and Encarnacion got all of it for a walk-off three-run shot.

Is this the greatest homer in Blue Jays history? Well, no. There's no topping Joe Carter's World Series winner from 1993. For that matter, Encarnacion's wild-card winner isn't even Toronto's top highlight on this list.

But just in case you ever find yourself needing to answer how many walk-off homers there have ever been in winner-take-all playoff games, you should know that Encarnacion's is one of only four.

14. Game 1, 2015 World Series: Alex Gordon Launches a Game-Tying Shot

Back in the Fall Classic a year after their heartbreaking defeat in 2014, the Kansas City Royals found themselves down a run going into the ninth inning of Game 1 of the 2015 World Series.

They might as well have had a brick wall standing between them and a tie. On the mound was New York Mets closer Jeurys Familia, who had allowed just two hits and zero runs in eight appearances in the playoffs.

The crowd packed into Kauffman Stadium seemed all too aware of Familia's apparent invincibility. The Royals faithful weren't silent, per se, but they were oddly quiet as star left fielder Alex Gordon stepped in to take his hacks with one out in the inning.

But then, in a 1-1 count, Gordon suddenly sent a 97 mph sinker 438 feet to center field for a game-tying homer that set the Kauffman Stadium crowd on a roar. 

The blast boosted the Royals' win probability from 11 percent to 58 percent, and they ultimately claimed victory in the 14th inning. Because they then went on to win their first championship in 30 years, there's something to the notion that Gordon's momentum-shifting blast is the greatest homer in the team's history.

13. Game 3, 2018 World Series: Max Muncy Mercifully Ends a 7-Hour Marathon

When Max Muncy got set for a 3-2 pitch leading off the bottom of the 18th inning of Game 3 of the 2018 World Series, the Boston Red Sox and his Los Angeles Dodgers had been playing for over seven hours.

More precisely, seven hours and 20 minutes. The contest had thus set a new mark for the longest postseason game in history—by nearly an hour, to boot—and was technically into Saturday after beginning on Friday.

Boston might have won the game in the 13th after taking a lead in the top half of the inning, but the Dodgers tied it by way of a two-out error on the part of Ian Kinsler. Muncy also came this close to walking it off in the bottom of the 15th, but his deep fly to right field went just foul.

He had no such bad luck three innings later, connecting on a Nathan Eovaldi cutter for a deep fly that just cleared Dodger Stadium's left field fence for a game-ending home run.

Though the Dodgers went on to lose the series, neither their fans nor anyone else who was awake to see it will be forgetting Muncy's marathon-ending mash any time soon.

12. Game 2, 2020 NLDS: Cody Bellinger Takes Away a Go-Ahead Home Run

No matter what happens the rest of the way, the signature moment of the 2020 playoffs may have already occurred.

Let's wind it back to Game 2 of the National League Division Series between the San Diego Padres and Los Angeles Dodgers at Globe Life Field. More specifically, to when superstar shortstop Fernando Tatis Jr. connected on a 99 mph fastball from Brusdar Graterol with two out and a man on in the seventh inning.

The ball looked like a possible home run off the bat, and it would have been if Cody Bellinger had taken one wrong step or had been just a little off with the timing of his leap at the center field wall. But he didn't and he wasn't, resulting in a legitimate home run robbery that preserved his team's 4-3 lead.

Granted, Bellinger's grab only moved Los Angeles' win probability from 71 to 77 percent. What those numbers miss, however, is that Tatis' drive had an .860 expected batting average, and therefore only a 14 percent chance of becoming an out.

In other words, it was indeed one of the greatest catches in MLB playoff history. If anything, Graterol's ensuing celebration was understated.

11. Game 4, 2018 ALCS: Andrew Benintendi Risks All for a Game-Saving Catch

On paper, the Boston Red Sox's 2018 season was never really in doubt. They won 108 games in the regular season and then 11 of 14 in the postseason en route to a World Series title.

Yet there were indeed times when things could have fallen apart for the Red Sox. Included among them is the split second when Andrew Benintendi decided to dive for that ball in Game 4 of the American League Championship Series.

It was the bottom of the ninth inning at Minute Maid Park, and star third baseman Alex Bregman had the bases loaded with two outs. With a hit, he could erase Boston's 8-6 lead. With an extra-base hit, he could deliver the Houston Astros to a series-tying win.

As if on cue, Bregman lined Craig Kimbrel's first fastball to left field, where Benintendi was playing relatively deep. It looked like a hit at first, only to end up in Benintendi's glove for the final out.

The cold, hard Statcast data rated Benintendi's diving grab as having only a 21 percent probability. What can never be quantified, however, is just how much he was risking for the reward of that final out.

10. Game 6, 2019 ALCS: Jose Altuve Punches Houston's Ticket to the World Series

When Jose Altuve stepped in to face New York Yankees closer Aroldis Chapman in the bottom of the ninth of Game 6 of the 2019 American League Championship Series, the crowd at Minute Maid Park didn't seem fully recovered from what had just happened.

The Astros began the top of the inning with a 4-2 lead and ace closer Roberto Osuna on the hill. But he faltered, surrendering the lead via a leadoff single by Brett Gardner and a one-out home run by DJ LeMahieu.

Thus was Houston's win probability lowered from 91 percent all the way down to 56 percent. Even after Chapman walked George Springer with two outs in the bottom half, Houston's win probability only improved to 57 percent.

But then, on a 2-1 count, Chapman hung a slider. You could practically see Altuve's eyes light up as he swung at it, and you could definitely hear the crowd as the resulting missile cleared the left field fence for a game-winning, series-clinching homer.

Alas, the legacy of Altuve's blast was subsequently tarnished by the revelation of the Astros' sign-stealing ways and, more specifically, unsubstantiated-yet-compelling accusations that a buzzer underneath his jersey told him what was coming.

9. Game 5, 2019 NLDS: Rendon and Soto Go Back-to-Back for the Tie

The Washington Nationals had given the Los Angeles Dodgers a tough time in the 2019 National League Division Series. But come the top of the eighth inning of Game 5 at Dodger Stadium, the home team could breathe a little easier.

The Dodgers were sitting on a 3-1 lead thanks in part to longtime ace Clayton Kershaw, who had snuffed a two-out rally with a strikeout of Adam Eaton in the seventh inning.

The Dodgers began the eighth needing just six outs to be on their way to their fourth National League Championship Series in as many years. After winning 106 games in the regular season, they surely deserved it.

The Nationals, however, clearly didn't care about that. Anthony Rendon led off and golfed Kershaw's 1-0 slider over the left field fence to bring Washington within a run. On the very next pitch, Juan Soto absolutely demolished a hanging slider for a game-tying shot to right field.

The crowd was stunned then, and stunned even further when Howie Kendrick secured the Nats a decisive 7-3 win with a go-ahead grand slam in the 10th inning. Spoiler alert: They would later ride yet another pair of clutch homers to even greater heights.

8. Game 7, 2019 World Series: Rendon Sets 'Em Up, Kendrick Knocks 'Em Down

As they had been in their do-or-die tilt against the Dodgers in the NLDS, the Nationals once again found themselves with their backs against the wall in Game 7 of the 2019 World Series.

This time, they were in the Astros' backyard at Minute Maid Park. On the mound for the top of the seventh was veteran ace Zack Greinke, who had thus far upheld Houston's 2-0 lead with six mostly spotless innings of work.

But in the tradition of "if it ain't broke, don't fix it," Rendon, Soto and Kendrick once again came to Washington's rescue. 

After Eaton grounded out to start the inning, Rendon connected on a hanging slider from Greinke for a solo home run to left field. That cut the Astros' lead in half, and it was gone after Soto walked and Kendrick greeted Will Harris by poking his 0-1 cutter off the right field foul pole.

The Nationals eventually claimed a 6-2 victory for the organization's first-ever World Series championship. Looking back, Kendrick can be especially proud knowing that Baseball Gauge's "championship win probability added" metric rates his homer as one of the 10 biggest hits in postseason history.

7. Game 5, 2014 NLCS: Travis Ishikawa Wins the Pennant for the Giants

In the mood for a less controversial and more wholesome Championship Series winner? Consider Travis Ishikawa.

He began his major league career with the San Francisco Giants in 2006 and gradually found a niche as a slick-fielding first baseman. Yet he was a bench jockey by the time that the Giants won the 2010 World Series, and he promptly bounced around the minors and majors between 2011 and 2013.

Come April 2014, Ishikawa returned to the Giants on a minor league deal and eventually found himself weighing retirement as his path to the majors got narrower and narrower. Yet he got his shot and even found himself playing every day in left field at the end of the season.

In Game 5 of the National League Championship Series, it was in this capacity that Ishikawa faced St. Louis Cardinals right-hander Michael Wacha with the score tied at 3-3 and one out in the bottom of the ninth. With a runner at second base, he could have put the Giants in the World Series with so much as a single.

For good measure, he homered instead. The Giants won the pennant, and Ishikawa took his place alongside Bobby Thomson in the franchise's lore.

6. Game 7, 2014 World Series: Alex Gordon's Mad Dash Stops at Third

Ishikawa may have gotten them there, but the Giants won the 2014 World Series over the Royals almost entirely because of ace lefty Madison Bumgarner's heroic efforts in Games 1, 5 and 7.

And yet, there's no forgetting that the Giants nearly let the deciding game at Kauffman Stadium slip away in the bottom of the ninth inning.

Bumgarner had a 3-2 lead, but was seemingly tiring in his fifth inning of relief work when Gordon got set for an 0-1 offering with two outs and the bases empty. He lined a cutter to center field for a single that, upon misplays by Gregor Blanco and Juan Perez, afforded Gordon the chance to scoot to third base.

Should Gordon have been sent home? Because shortstop Brandon Crawford already had the ball when Gordon got to third base, probably not. But if he had tried for home, there would have been a chance of a bad throw and, subsequently, a tie game.

The Royals' caution didn't pay off when Salvador Perez promptly popped out to end the game and the series. "Would you have sent Gordon?" is nonetheless still a compelling question even six years later, and will remain as such for years to come.

5. Game 2, 2013 ALCS: David Ortiz Changes Everything with a Game-Tying Slam

It would be hard to overstate just how thoroughly the Detroit Tigers dominated the first game-and-a-half of the 2013 American League Championship Series.

Led by Anibal Sanchez, the Tigers held the Red Sox to just one hit in a 1-0 victory at Fenway Park in Game 1. So it went early in Game 2, wherein Max Scherzer held Boston hitless until Shane Victorino singled with two outs in the sixth inning.

So when the Tigers took a 5-1 lead into the bottom of the eighth inning, the game already seemed over. It seemed even more so after Stephen Drew made the first out, pushing Detroit's win probability to 97 percent.

Two singles and a walk later, however, up strode David Ortiz with the bases loaded. Joaquin Benoit tried to trick him with a first-pitch changeup, but it hung up enough for Ortiz to get under it. He lined a shot to right field that just cleared the bullpen fence for a grand slam.

Like that, an iconic image was born and the game was tied. The Red Sox went on to win the game, the series and ultimately the World Series, wherein Ortiz won his third ring and his first World Series MVP.

4. Game 7, 2016 World Series: Rajai Davis' All-Time Clutch Home Run

Something had to give in the 2016 World Series. Either Cleveland would win its first World Series since 1948, or the Chicago Cubs would win their first since 1908.

Cleveland initially put itself on the cusp by taking a 3-1 lead, only for the Cubs to even the series with victories in Games 5 and 6. They then seemed to have Game 7 well in hand, taking a 6-3 lead into the bottom of the eighth inning at Progressive Field.

Even after fireballing closer Aroldis Chapman coughed up a run on a two-out double by Brandon Guyer, the Cubs' advantage seemed more or less safe. Following Guyer to the plate was Rajai Davis, who had all of 55 home runs in 11 seasons. That included the playoffs, wherein he'd hit zero balls over the fence.

Instead, what followed was a seven-pitch battle that ended when the speedster lined a 98 mph fastball just over the left field fence. Game status: tied: Crowd status: berserk.

Things didn't go so well for Cleveland after that. But in terms of championship win probability added, Davis' shot off Chapman stands at No. 4 among the biggest hits in the history of baseball's postseason.

3. Game 7, 2016 World Series: The Chicago Cubs Snap a 108-Year Curse

Per their usual script, Davis' homer should have been the beginning of the end for the Cubs in Game 7 of the 2016 World Series.

They were, after all, the Cubs. They had a hard enough time even getting to the playoffs between 1909 and 2015. When they did, calamity always ensued. There was even that one time in the 2003 NLCS when they turned an easy win into an embarrassing farce.

It was all too appropriate, then, when even the weather turned on the Cubs during that Game 7. Shortly after Davis' game-tying homer, the rain came and forced a delay.

But whether it was because of right fielder Jason Heyward's rallying speech or because the baseball gods had simply run out of tricks, the Cubs came out and retook the lead with two runs in the top of the 10th. When Mike Montgomery induced a slow roller off Michael Martinez's bat with two outs in the bottom half, the Cubs only needed Kris Bryant to play it cleanly for the final out.

Once again, no tricks. The out was made, the series was clinched and 108 years of frustration on the north side of Chicago was just...gone.

2. Game 5, 2015 ALDS: Jose Bautista's Earth-Shaking Bomb and Bat Flip

A year before Encarnacion did his thing, Jose Bautista did his. And in style, at that.

It was largely because of Bautista that the 2015 Blue Jays snapped a playoff drought that had been active since Carter's monumental homer in the 1993 World Series. He helped pace a dominant offense with 40 homers and a .913 OPS in the regular season.

But after homering in Game 1 of the American League Division Series opposite the Texas Rangers, Bautista went quiet as Toronto's 2-0 lead turned into a 2-2 tie. He got on the board with an RBI double in the third inning of Game 5, but Texas nonetheless took a 3-2 lead into the seventh.

The Blue Jays promptly rallied for a run off ace Cole Hamels and closer Sam Dyson, bringing Bautista to the plate with runners at the corners and two outs. Dyson made the mistake of leaving a 97 mph sinker on the inner half, permitting Bautista to launch a game-breaking three-run homer.

Rightfully, Bautista reasoned that an iconic home run deserved an iconic bat flip. And while the Rangers grumbled and even took revenge the following season, said flip clearly convinced MLB that bat flips are not to be scorned, but celebrated.

1. Game 6, 2011 World Series: David Freese for the Tie and the Win

Game 6 of the 2011 World Series between the Rangers and Cardinals started out as a sloppy, error-fueled nightmare, only to turn into one of the greatest games in the history of the Fall Classic.

For that, David Freese can take a bow.

The Rangers had a 96 percent chance of winning the game and, with it, the series after Neftali Feliz began the bottom of the ninth inning with a 7-5 lead and promptly struck out Ryan Theriot. He subsequently put two men on, but also got another out and was on the verge of the third when he got Freese into a 1-2 count.

But Freese seized the moment, lining a ball to right field for a game-tying triple. After the Rangers and Cardinals exchanged two-run efforts in the 10th—Josh Hamilton's homer and Lance Berkman's single were huge hits in their own right—Freese later led off the 11th by lofting Mark Lowe's 3-2 pitch over Busch Stadium's center field wall for a game-ending, series-extending homer.

Granted, we're crediting Freese's two hits as a single moment. But because they account for the most clutch performance in postseason history by way of win probability added, they should be remembered as such.

Stats courtesy of Baseball Reference and The Baseball Gauge. All videos courtesy of MLB Advanced Media, via YouTube.