The 25 Most Clutch Hitters in the MLB
Every team has a player or two that they count on to come through when it matters most, and throughout baseball history there have been players who became legends for their impressive performance in the clutch.
Measuring how clutch a player is, is subjective to a point, as there is no clear-cut statistic to measure "clutch level".
However, looking at things like a players average with runners in scoring position, or with two outs can help paint a picture of whether or not that player is clutch. So here are the 25 most clutch players in the game today.
David Wright
1 of 25
While the Mets have been a mess the past few seasons, the one constant has been the play of Wright who has been the team's best and most consistent hitter since being called up in 2004.
For his career, Wright has hit a solid .295 with runners in scoring position. He hits an even more impressive .330 with the bases loaded, including four grand slams. All in all, Wright is just a solid player, whether it is in clutch situations or otherwise.
Freddy Sanchez
2 of 25
Sanchez, a former batting title winner with the Pirates back in 2006, is a great contact hitter, but is certainly not the first name that pops to mind when you hear the term "clutch hitter".
The numbers don't lie, however,and Sanchez has the numbers to back it up. A .297 career hitter, that jumps to .318 with runners in scoring position, and a whopping .367 when there is more than one runner on base. All that points to Sanchez being clutch.
Billy Butler
3 of 25
Butler, the Royals first round pick in 2004, has quickly established himself as one of the league's top young hitter and the Royals biggest offensive threat. Currently just 25 years old, Butler should only get better.
While he has just over 2,000 career at bats, meaning the sample size is small, he has hit .312 with runners in scoring position and .322 overall with men on. He is on his way to being the next great clutch hitter.
Alexei Ramirez
4 of 25
Ramirez is now in his fourth season with the White Sox after defecting from Cuba, and he has done nothing but hit ever since being inserted into the everyday lineup--winning the Silver Slugger last season.
A career .281 hitter, Ramirez hits an even better .308 with runners in scoring position, and .301 with two outs and runners in scoring position. The most impressive number, however, is his .361 average with the bases loaded, as he has hit five grand slams in just 36 at bats with the bases full.
Placido Polanco
5 of 25
Polanco, viewed by many as a future manager thanks to his high baseball IQ, is regarded as one of the best situational hitters in all of baseball. He is the under appreciated type who does all the little things.
He also hits very well in the clutch, with a .308 career average with runners in scoring position and a .316 average when there is anyone on base.
Hideki Matsui
6 of 25
Matsui is nearing the end of his career, and is in just his ninth MLB season after playing in Japan until the age of 29. However, in that short time he has made his mark as great clutch hitter.
With a career postseason line of .312 BA, 10 HR, 39 RBI Matsui is a legend in New York, especially after hitting .615 BA, 3 HR, 8 RBI in the 2009 World Series. He may not be the hitter he was, but he has the track record to say he will come through with the big hit when needed.
Aramis Ramirez
7 of 25
Ramirez was among the top run producers in all of baseball throughout the 2000s as a member of the Cubs. Unfortunately, he has had trouble staying healthy of late.
That said, Ramirez is a .282 career hitter who bats .300 with runners in scoring position. He led the league in 2009 with a .425 average with runners in scoring position, the last season in which he was healthy. Ramirez still has it, he just needs to stay on the field.
Chipper Jones
8 of 25
Jones is nearing the end of his career, and he will go down as one of the greatest third basemen, as well as one of the best switch hitter, to ever play the game. Now in his 18th season, Jones has been a staple at third for the Braves throughout their run of success.
He also has a .303 career average with runners in scoring position, as well as a great postseason track record with 13 HR and 47 RBI in 333 career playoff at bats. The term "seasoned veteran" fits Jones perfectly.
Lance Berkman
9 of 25
Berkman fell out of favor in Houston last season when his power numbers diminished greatly, and he and his large contract were dealt to the Yankees at the deadline. After receiving limited interest this off season, he inked a one year, $8 million deal with the Cardinals and he is hitting .406 coming into play today.
He is a career .304 hitter with runners in scoring position, and a .314 hitter with anyone on base, making him exactly what you look for in a middle of the order producer. While it is questionable that he will continue his torrid pace, it looks as though the Cardinals made a wise investment with that $8 million.
Shin-Soo Choo
10 of 25
The definition of underrated, Choo has been about the only good thing in Cleveland the past few seasons. The team is on a tear to open the season, and that could mean Choo finally starts to receive the recognition he deserves.
A career .294 hitter, Choo is even better in the clutch with a .307 average with runners in scoring position and a .303 mark with two outs and runners in scoring position. Throw in a .356 average with the bases loaded, and you have one heck of a hitter when it matters most.
Andre Ethier
11 of 25
Ethier, who came to the Dodgers in a trade for Milton Bradley in what may be the best move in team history, is in the midst of an impressive hitting streak, but he has a solid track record of being as clutch as they come.
He announced himself to the clutch baseball scene in 2009, when he had six walk-off hits, including four walk off home runs which was the most in a single-season since 1974. Since then, he has continued to show a flare for the dramatics, and is quickly becoming one of the best hitters in all of baseball.
Joey Votto
12 of 25
Votto came into his own last season, edging out Albert Pujols to take home the NL MVP and leading the Reds to a surprising division title.
While he may not have the longest track record, he has proven to be clutch so far in his career, hitting .338 with runners in scoring position and he is off to another hot start this season. Look for Votto to be a perennial MVP candidate as he continues to improve.
Ryan Braun
13 of 25
Rarely is a player able to make a seamless transition from the minor leagues to the majors, but Braun did just that, and has not looked back since his 2007 debut when he won NL Rookie of the Year--despite appearing in just 113 games.
A career .309 hitter, Braun seems to step up when his team is in trouble, as that average jumps to .330 when the Brewers are trailing and an equally impressive .327 when the bases are loaded. Still just 27 years old, we can look forward to many more years of watching Braun demolish opposing pitching.
Troy Tulowitzki
14 of 25
Tulowitzki is the top offensive shortstop in baseball right now, and he has had some fantastic seasons hitting in the middle of the Rockies order already in his young career.
While his .272 average with runners in scoring position is nothing special, it is his late season hitting that makes him so clutch. Tulo has 33 HR and 106 RBI in 133 September/October games, and last season he put up a line of .303 BA, 15 HR, 40 RBI over the final 30 games of the season. Ridiculous.
Vladmir Guerrero
15 of 25
Guerrero is putting the finishing touches on what will almost certainly be a Hall of Fame career, as he enters today's game with a career line of .319 BA, 440 HR, 1,446 RBI. Coming off his best season since 2007, he should have at least a few more solid years in him at the age of 36.
He is a .320 hitter with runners in scoring position, and a .324 hitter when his team is trailing. Guerrero has a long track record of being among the game's elite, though he is no longer the power threat he once was. He is still a dangerous hitter, however, and remains as clutch as they come.
Brian McCann
16 of 25
McCann is arguably the best offensive catcher in the National League, and is almost certainly the top power threat among all big league backstops at this point in his career.
He is a career .301 hitter with runners in scoring position, and a .305 hitter with two outs and runners in scoring position. He also hits .013 higher when his team is trailing compared to when his team is ahead. All that puts McCann among the game's top clutch threats.
Michael Young
17 of 25
Young was the center of trade talks this off season after the Rangers signed third baseman Adrian Beltre to boot young from his starting spot. However, he has stuck around in a DH/utility role and that may be the smartest thing the Rangers could have done.
He is a career .325 hitter with runners in scoring position, and that actually improves to .328 when their are two outs and runners in scoring position. That, coupled with a .352 average with the bases loaded, makes the Rangers look like geniuses for holding onto Young.
Ichiro Suzuki
18 of 25
Ichiro and his ridiculous streak of ten straight seasons with at least 200 hits, is the definition of a table setter, as he always puts the ball in play and has speed to burn.
For his career he has struck out just 9.6 percent of the time when there are runners on base in front of him, and the simple fact that he is a career .331 hitter makes him dangerous regardless the inning or situation. It is crazy to think he has Hall of Fame numbers in the U.S., despite not coming over from Japan until the age of 27.
Adrian Gonzalez
19 of 25
Gonzalez, long among the must underrated players in baseball during his time in San Diego, was traded to the Red Sox this off season, and finally has a chance to display his talents on a bigger stage.
A .285 career hitter, Gonzalez hits .314 with runners in scoring position and a whopping .366 with the bases loaded. Those talents should quickly make him a favorite in Boston, as he will finally start to get the recognition he deserves.
Derek Jeter
20 of 25
Jeter is perhaps the most recognizable figure in baseball right now, as he is literally a walking legend, and his legacy will only grow stronger when he eclipses the 3,000 hit mark later this season.
A career .309 hitter in 599 postseason at bats, including .321 in the World Series, Jeter has made a living coming through with huge hits in October. His career looks to be wrapping up, but it has been a great one.
David Ortiz
21 of 25
Ortiz has always been a great hitter since coming to the Red Sox prior to the 2003 season, as he and Manny Ramirez formed the best run producing duo in baseball for a number of seasons.
However, he truly earned his reputation as a clutch hitter with his ridiculous 2004 postseason, as he hit three home runs and drove in 11 runs in the Red Sox miraculous comeback from down 3-0 to beat the Yankees. He is also a .321 career hitter in the World Series, and it is safe to say the Red Sox would not have their two recent titles without Big Papi.
Joe Mauer
22 of 25
Mauer has won three batting titles already in his five full big league seasons, and he is already among the best offensive catchers to ever play the game. After signing a massive contract to stay in Minnesota, he will make the Twins a contender year in and year out.
A career .326 hitter, Mauer's numbers get even better in the clutch, as he hits .342 with runners in scoring position. That jumps to .361 with two outs and runners in scoring position, as he steps up when the pressure is highest.
Miguel Cabrera
23 of 25
Cabrera is the Albert Pujols of the American League, as he can consistently be counted on for a .300 BA, 30 HR, 100 RBI season, and generally surpasses those benchmarks by leaps and bounds.
He is a career .322 hitter with runners in scoring position, and he hits a ridiculous .439 with the bases loaded, as he is truly among the top run producers in the game. Still just 28 years old, Cabrera could put himself among the all time greats statistically before he retires.
Josh Hamilton
24 of 25
Hamilton, the reigning AL MVP, has overcome a number of obstacles to cement his place as one of the top hitters in all of baseball. He was a big reason why the Rangers made their first World Series appearance last season.
For his career, he is a .334 hitter with runners in scoring position, and a .321 hitter with two outs and runners in scoring position. It took him some time to turn into the player the Rays thought he would be when they took him first overall in the 1999 Draft, but he has been worth the wait.
Albert Pujols
25 of 25
Even with his slow start this season, it is hard to argue that Pujols is the best hitter in the game today. He is just as dangerous in his first at bat of the game as he is in a clutch ninth inning at bat, if not more.
Pujols is a career .345 hitter with runners in scoring position, and a .326 hitter with two outs and runners in scoring position. He hits a significant .014 higher when his team is trailing compared to when his team is ahead. All that makes Pujols the most clutch hitter in the game today.
