MLB Power Rankings: Mariano Rivera and the Most Clutch Players on All 30 Teams
In baseball, the one aspect that separates the good players from the great players is the ability to hit in the clutch.
The ability to hit when the pressure is on is one that a lot of people don't have.
In terms of measuring the "clutchness" of any player, there are several specific things you must look at. The first thing that must be studied is the player's average when there are runners in scoring position as well as hitting when there are runners in scoring position and two outs.
I also examine the players average and other numbers when the bases are loaded.
Another aspect of this measurement is the players success and "clutchness" in playoff games or in games that are important to the teams chances of making the playoff.
The last thing I look at is awards and accomplishments that in somehow relate to their performance in clutch situations. I refer to awards that can range from winning the MVP of a playoff series or even just being named the clutch player of the month by Pepsi.
Anyways, this is a tribute to the players who have proved that they can perform in high pressure situations.
So, without further ado, let us begin.
30. Nobody, Toronto Blue Jays.
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I searched and searched, but was unable to find anybody on the Blue Jays roster who could even be remotely considered clutch.
Now, one could say, "how does a team that hit 257 home runs last year not have any clutch players?" I shall tell you.
The Jays lived and died by the home run in 2010. And because of this, they almost always left runners on base. One would think that the 2010 home run king, Jose Bautista, would at least have decent numbers in the clutch, but that has not been the case.
Of course though, the Jays are a very inexperienced team with a ton of youth and players who haven't had the opportunity to produce in the clutch, so in some ways it is unfair for me to criticize their lack of clutch hitting.
29. Melvin Mora, Arizona Diamondbacks.
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The Arizona Diamondbacks had nobody clutch on their roster with the exception of Melvin Mora. Though I was hesitant to put Mora on this list at all seeing as he is nearing the end of his baseball career and that he probably won't perform as well. But, he is all the D-backs have!
Melvin Mora has had a solid career that has seen him spend the better part of his baseball career with the Baltimore Orioles. Mora has been an excellent player who was always consistent in his prime and had a few monstrous seasons.
One aspect of Mora's game that is especially consistent, is his ability to perform in the clutch. Mora has hit .281 with runners in scoring position (RISP) and has hit an even better .285 when there are runners in scoring position with two outs. However, Melvin's best stats have come with the bases loaded as he has a phenomenal .345 average and has hit five grand slams in his career.
28. Andrew McCutchen, Pittsburgh Pirates.
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Andrew McCutchen is one of the best young outfielders in baseball.
McCutchen has only played two seasons in the majors, but his impact has already been felt. Andrew has hit .286 in both his seasons and has proven that he can be a five-tool player. McCutchen has acceptable power, excellent speed, a fine glove, a great eye at the plate and enormous potential.
McCutchen is easily the most clutch player on the Pirates squad. In terms of his career RISP, McCutchen has hit a decent .285. And even though he has had very limited at-bats with the bases loaded, it is notable that his career average with the bags juiced is a robust .529, but once again, in very limited at-bats.
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27. Hanley Ramirez, Florida Marlins.
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Hanley Ramirez is one of the best players in baseball. Ramirez has been a star for a franchise who has so desperately needed one.
Hanley has hit 21+ home runs in each of his last four seasons and has only hit under .300 once in his career. In addition to these spectacular stats, Ramirez has stolen 50 bases twice in his career and has never stolen less than 27 in a single season.
Hanley Ramirez is also the most clutch player the Florida Marlins have, not that there is much competition. Hanley has an excellent average with RISP at .294 and has a decent average with RISP and two outs at .282.
26. Jayson Werth, Washington Nationals.
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After having a couple of nice seasons as a member of the Philadelphia Phillies, Jayson Werth received a massive contract in the offseason.
Werth landed a seven-year, $126 million contract with the Washington Nationals, of all teams. A lot of people, including me, believed that the Nationals had overpaid for Werth who hasn't really proven himself, but I digress.
Jayson Werth is the most clutch player on the Nationals roster. Over his career, Werth has a .260 RISP and a fairly mediocre .259 average, hitting with the bases loaded.
Those numbers aren't terribly impressive, but Werth has had some postseason success. The highlight of his playoff career was in 2009 when Jayson hit seven home runs throughout the playoffs, helping the Phillies reach the World Series.
25. Billy Butler, Kansas City Royals.
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The Kansas City Royals and their fans have not had much to cheer about for the past few years. However, one bright spot has been their very productive first baseman, Billy Butler.
In his four seasons with the Royals, Butler has a career average of .299 and has been a terrific run producer for a team that has been desperately needing one for several years.
In his relatively short time with the Royals, Butler has posted a beautiful .310 average with runners in scoring position. His average with the bases loaded is also pretty decent at .286.
24. Buster Posey, San Francisco Giants
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Buster Posey was the most exciting young player in major league baseball in 2010. Posey posted ridiculous numbers as he hit a sensational .305, had 18 home runs, and drove in 67 runs. Buster was everything the Giants had hoped for and more.
At the end of the year, Posey was named the 2010 NL Rookie of the Year. Buster was a key part of the Giants success during the 2010 regular season.
In the clutch, Posey hit .315 with runners in scoring position and hit .288 with runners in scoring position and two outs. Posey was instrumental during the playoffs for the Giants as he hit .288 during the postseason helping them win their first World Series in several years.
23. Carlos Lee, Houston Astros.
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Carlos Lee is without a doubt the most powerful hitter on the Houston Astros team. Lee has had an excellent career and has hit 331 total home runs in his career. Carlos is the most clutch player the Astros have, once again, this isn't saying much.
Throughout his career, Lee has hit .300 when there are runners in scoring position and has hit .322 with the bases loaded and has smacked 15 grand slams.
22. David Wright, New York Mets.
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David Wright is one of the best third basemen in all of baseball and has been for quite some time. In his career, Wright has a .305 average and has hit 169 home runs. David has also had the ability to steal bases, adding yet another weapon to his already impressive repertoire.
In addition to these impressive numbers, Wright has also been extremely clutch for the basement dwelling Mets. David has hit .296 in his career with runners in scoring position and has hit .337 with the bases loaded in addition to hitting four grand slams.
21. Aramis Ramirez, Chicago Cubs.
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Aramis Ramirez has had an excellent career in his 14 seasons in the major leagues. Ramirez has spent the majority of his career with the Chicago Cubs and has been one of their best players. Aramis has hit 289 home runs during his career and has a career average .282.
In addition to his nice stats, Ramirez has also performed well when it counts. Aramis has hit .301 with runners in scoring position and has hit a spectacular .344 average with the bases loaded and has hit nine grand slams.
Unfortunately, Ramirez's regular season success hasn't necessarily translated into postseason success, although, in very limited action.
20. Brian McCann, Atlanta Braves.
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Brian McCann is one of the best catchers in baseball and probably the best player on the Atlanta Braves roster. Brian has put up sensational numbers as he has hit for both power and average on a very consistent basis. In addition to his offensive success, McCann has also been an excellent defensive catcher.
McCann has also been very consistent in terms of his clutching hitting. Brian has hit a pretty nice .294 with runners in scoring position and has hit a ridiculous .352 with the bases loaded and has hit seven grand slams.
In two trips to the postseason, in both 2005 and 2010, Brian has hit .300 overall in the playoffs.
19. Ryan Braun, Milwaukee Brewers.
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Ryan Braun is one of the best outfielders in the MLB. Braun has loads of power and enormous amounts of potential.
In four seasons, Ryan has never hit less than 25 home runs and has never driven in less than 97 runs. Braun's career average is a fantastic .307 and he has stolen base potential as well.
Braun has been the best clutch hitter that the Milwaukee Brewers have had in quite some time. Ryan has a career average of .304 with runners in scoring position and has a .346 average with the bases loaded, although in limited at-bats.
In four postseason games, Braun has a career .313 average.
18. Alexei Ramirez, Chicago White Sox.
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Alexei Ramirez has been excellent for the Chicago White Sox ever since he came up to the major leagues in 2008. Ramirez has been versatile for the Sox, but has primarily played shortstop. Alexei is the perfect balance of speed and power and has been as consistent as any Chicago White Sox player.
With runners in scoring position, Ramirez has hit a very nice .310 and has hit .311 with runners in scoring position and two outs. Ramirez has been especially clutch with the bases loaded as he has hit a terrific .361 and has hit five grand slams in just 36 chances with the bases juiced, which is ridiculous.
17. Heath Bell, San Diego Padres.
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This pick was especially difficult for me to make as it was hard for me to rank a closer amidst a group of hitters.
I had originally had Heath Bell a few lots higher, but felt the 17th position was adequate. Heath Bell has been one of the best closers in the majors for a couple of years with the San Diego Padres. In his two years as full-time closer for the Padres, Bell has been an all-star in both years.
Bell has saved ridiculous amounts of games as well, as he had 42 in 2009 and 47 in 2010. Bell's ERA has also been spectacular as he had a 2.71 ERA in 2009 and an excellent 1.93 last year. Heath was instrumental last year in helping the surprising San Diego Padres win a ton of games, although they just missed the postseason by a few games.
16. Miguel Cabrera, Detroit Tigers.
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Miguel Cabrera is one of the most powerful and productive hitters in all of baseball and has terrorized pitchers for several years. Cabrera is still very young and has managed to hit 247 home runs in his still young career.
He has a career average of .313 and has been one of the most consistent hitters in all of baseball. Over the course of his career, Cabrera has been solid in the clutch as he has a .319 career average hitting with runners in scoring position.
Cabrera's biggest strength comes with the bases loaded as he has a career .434 average and has hit two grand slams.
15. James Loney, Los Angeles Dodgers.
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James Loney is one of my favorite players in the major leagues. Loney has been an excellent run producer for the Dodgers and has amazingly done it without using the home run. James has also hit for average and has been a spectacular all-around player.
What makes Loney even better is his ability to hit in clutch situations. With runners in scoring position, Loney has hit .326 and has hit .375 with the bases loaded making him the most clutch player on the Dodgers roster.
14. Bobby Abreu, Los Angeles Angels.
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Bobby Abreu has had a very nice career that has seen him play for several nice teams like the 98' Houston Astros, the Philadelphia Phillies, the New York Yankees and currently the Los Angeles Angels.
Bobby has played 14 seasons in the MLB and has enjoyed a ton of success and has hit a lot of home runs.
One part of Bobby's game that has always been consistent is his ability to hit in clutch situations. With runners in scoring position, Abreu has hit .315 in his career and with runners in scoring position and two outs, has hit .301.
Bobby Abreu's best stats have come with the bases loaded as he has hit .351 and has hit nine grand slams. Bobby has also enjoyed decent success in limited playoff action.
13. Shin-Soo Choo, Cleveland Indians.
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Shin-Soo Choo is one of the best all-around outfielders in baseball. Choo has hit for power, can run well and plays gold-glove caliber defense.
Choo has been a bright spot on an Indians roster that doesn't boast much greatness. Choo has put up sensational numbers in his first couple years with the Indians and has a career average that is dangerously close to the .300 mark.
Choo has also been one of the few Indians who has been able to consistently hit in clutch situations. Shin-Soo has hit .312 in his career with runners in scoring position while also hitting a really nice .311 hitting with runners in scoring position and two outs.
Shin-Soo has been best with the bases loaded as he has hit a ridiculous .390 when the bases have been juiced.
12. Troy Tulowitzki, Colorado Rockies.
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Troy Tulowitzki is without a doubt the most powerful shortstop in the MLB.
In four full seasons, Tulowitzki has hit 92 home runs in total and has driven in 338 runs. Troy has had several wonderful seasons, with perhaps his best coming last year as he hit a really nice .315, smacked 27 home runs and drove in 95 runs.
Troy has also been just as good in clutch situations as well. Troy has a career average of .275 with runners in scoring position and has hit a ridiculous .404 with the bases loaded. Troy has also been good down the stretch in the regular season. A good example is last season when Troy hit an incredible 15 home runs in the month of September.
11. Joey Votto, Cincinnati Reds.
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Ah, the good old Canadian boy. Joey Votto is one of the best young hitters in the major leagues. Votto's offensive dominance lead the Cincinnati Reds to the postseason for the first time in quite awhile.
Joey Votto had a beautiful season that saw him win the MVP award as he hit .324, 37 home runs and drove in 113 runs.
In clutch situations, Votto has come up big for the most part. Joey has hit a ridiculous .336 when there are runners in scoring position and a decent .288 with runners in scoring position and two outs.
Votto has also been clutch with the bases loaded, as he has hit .382 in limited at-bats.
10. Roy Halladay, Philadelphia Phillies.
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Roy Halladay is one of the best pitchers in baseball and is most likely a future hall-of-famer.
It is worth noting that I found it extremely difficult to rank Halladay because, like Heath Bell, Roy's a pitcher making it hard to compare him to hitters like Joey Votto.
Anyways, Halladay has 169 career wins and his overall ERA is a very nice 3.32. Halladay is one of the most respected players in baseball and is a hard worker who comes up big in important situations.
Take for example, his time in Toronto, whenever the Jays desperately needed a win, Halladay seemingly almost always ended the Jays losing streak. Roy also pitched a two-hitter in the game that clinched the NL East for the Phillies and pitched two no-hitters, one of them being in the offseason.
Halladay is clutch in many other ways as well, most of which unfortunately, cannot be showed via stats.
9. Hideki Matsui, Oakland Athletics.
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Hideki Matsui has enjoyed a very successful career in North America playing baseball. Matsui, who came over in 2003, spent the better part of his career with the New York Yankees and last year with the Los Angeles Angels.
Matsui signed with the Oakland Athletics in the offseason. Hideki has been a very consistent player for the teams he has played for and maintains a career average of .290.
Matsui has also been very consistent in clutch situations throughout his career. Hideki has a .299 average when it comes to hitting with runners in scoring position and a .296 average when hitting with the bases loaded. He has also hit six grand slams.
However, Hideki's best clutch abilities have come in the postseason. Matsui has a career postseason average of .312 and won the World Series MVP award in 2009 as he hit a ridiculous .462, smacking four home runs and driving in 13 as he led the Yankees to their 27th Championship.
8. Vladimir Guerrero, Baltimore Orioles.
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Vladimir Guerrero is one of my favorite players of all time and has had an incredibly long and successful career in the major leagues.
Guerrero has been known throughout his career for being able to hit the ball regardless of where it was thrown to him, even in the dirt. Vlad spent the majority of his MLB career with the now deceased Montreal Expos, then the Los Angeles Angels, the Texas Rangers last year and has just recently signed a very nice contract with the Baltimore Orioles.
Vlad has put up sensational numbers throughout his career as he has 436 home runs, 2427 hits and has a career average of .320.
Vladimir has also put up sensational numbers throughout his career hitting in clutch situations. Hitting with runners in scoring position, Vlad has posted a .321 average as well as a .301 average hitting with the bases loaded.
Vladimir has also put up monster numbers with the bases loaded as he is a career .348 hitter with seven grand slams.
7. Michael Young, Texas Rangers.
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Michael Young has enjoyed a very nice career as a Texas Ranger for the last 11 seasons. Young was primarily a shortstop, but made a sacrifice for the team and moved to third to please them in the wake of Elvis Andrus.
If you haven't heard, Young has requested a trade and the Rangers have been shopping him aggressively. Young maintains a career average of .300 and has had over 200 hits several times.
One of Young's best qualities or I should say abilities has been clutch hitting. Young has posted a .320 career average hitting with runners in scoring position and a ridiculous .326 average with two outs and runners in scoring position.
Even better has been Michael's .352 with the bases loaded, and he has hit four grand slams as well.
6. Ichiro Suzuki, Seattle Mariners.
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Ichiro Suzuki is in my mind, a future hall-of famer.
Suzuki has been by far the most consistent MLB player and has put up monster numbers in his time in North America. Ichiro has a career average at an absolutely ridiculous .331 and has 383 stolen bases as well.
Perhaps Ichiro's most impressive stats are his hits per season as Suzuki has never had less than 200 hits in ten seasons in the bigs. In his career, Ichiro has a ridiculous 2244 hits.
Ichiro has even been more impressive in clutch situations. In his career with runners in scoring position, Ichiro is a .337 hitter as well a .348 hitter when there are runners in scoring position and two outs.
Perhaps his best stats though come with the bases loaded as Ichiro is a career .427 hitter with four grand slams.
5. Joe Mauer, Minnesota Twins.
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Joe Mauer is indisputably the best catcher in the MLB.
Mauer has played seven seasons with the respected Minnesota Twins and has maintained a career average of .327 and once hit .365 in one season. Joe has been as consistent as anybody with the bat and has also been a great defensive catcher as he has won three consecutive gold glove awards.
Joe also won the prestigious AL MVP award in 2009 after having a truly ridiculous campaign.
Mauer is also one of the game's best players come crunch time. Mauer has a career .344 average when hitting with runners in scoring position as well as a ridiculous .366 when there are runners in scoring position and two outs.
With the bases loaded, Mauer has hit .321 and has smacked two grand slams.
Mauer has also won the "Clutch Player Of The Month" award once. Joe has also put up an acceptable .286 average in relatively limited postseason action.
4. David Ortiz, Boston Red Sox.
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Even with the black cloud of steroid accusations still surrounding David Ortiz, he has still had an exceptional career.
David has played 14 seasons in the MLB with both the Minnesota Twins and the Boston Red Sox, but more so the Sox. He has hit 349 career home runs and has posted several other monster numbers.
In addition to his monster numbers, Ortiz has also been Mr. Clutch.
Ortiz has won the player of the month award twice in the month of September and has won the player of the week award once in September as well. Hitting in the clutch has been one of Ortiz's many specialties.
With runners in scoring position, Ortiz has hit .297 and a ridiculous .361 average with the bases loaded, hitting nine grand slams in the process.
Ortiz has also been Mr. October with a .283 average in the playoffs that was brought down because of 2009's atrocity. David has also won the ALCS MVP in 2004 as he helped lead the Red Sox to a World Series title.
3. Manny Ramirez, Tampa Bay Rays.
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Manny Ramirez has had an incredibly successful career and also a very controversial one.
Manny has been one of baseball's best hitters, but some of his success has been overshadowed by steroids and his on the field actions. Ramirez has 555 career home runs and surprisingly has a career average of .313.
In his career, like Ortiz, Manny has been incredibly consistent in clutch situations. With runners in scoring position Ramirez has hit an excellent .327 as well as .311 when there are two outs and runners in scoring position.
Perhaps his best stats have with the bases loaded as Man-Ram has a .328 average and an absolutely spectacular 21 grand slams!
Manny has also been sensational in the postseason as he has hit a career .285 with 29 home runs and won the World Series MVP with the Boston Red Sox in 2004.
2. Albert Pujols, St. Louis Cardinals.
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Albert Pujols is without a doubt the best hitter in major league baseball.
In his already decorated career, Pujols has never hit less than .300 in a season, has never hit less than 30 home runs and has never driven in less than 100 RBI's. Do I smell the Triple Crown eventually?
Albert is on a pace to challenge the home run record set by Barry Bonds. So far, Albert has hit 408 home runs and still has a good 10 years left. Albert has also won the MVP award three times.
Pujols has also been just as good, if not better, in clutch situations. In his career, Pujols has hit a robust .345 with runners in scoring position as well an impressive .324 with runners in scoring position and two outs.
With the bases loaded, Pujols has an average of .388 and has hit 11 grand slams.
Pujols has also been excellent in postseason action. Albert has a career .322 average in postseason action and won the 2004 NLCS MVP award with the Cardinals.
1. Mariano Rivera, New York Yankees.
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Mariano Rivera (apologies Trevor Hoffman) will go down as the best reliever in baseball history. In my mind, there's no doubt.
Mo has spent his entire career with the New York Yankees and has a ridiculous 559 career saves to go with a sparkling career ERA of 2.23.
Mariano Rivera is the most clutch player in baseball for several reasons. The first being, well, he is a closer and that is his job, to perform in the clutch and shut the door at the end of games and Mo has been the best.
Secondly, Mo has had perhaps the best postseason numbers of any player in major league history. Rivera has posted an absolutely sensational 0.71 ERA in his postseason career and won the 2003 ALCS MVP award as well as the 1999 World Series MVP award.
Mariano has also saved a sensational 42 games in the postseason as well.
So, it is clear, Mo is the most clutch player in baseball.
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