16 MLB Players Who Could “Choke” During Pennant Races

The stretch run is here on the 2011 baseball season, and that means the pressure is mounting with each passing day for the teams still in contention.

Season in and season out there are inevitably players who choke when the lights are shining the brightest, and with the playoff teams becoming more and more clear, it is now possible to pinpoint where a team's weakness may lie.

That said, here is a look at 16 players, from what would be the current playoff field, who could potentially choke come playoff time for one reason or another.

Erik Bedard, Boston Red Sox

The Red Sox have run into injury problems all season to their starting pitching with Clay Buchholz and Daisuke Matsuzaka sidelined for the season. Jon Lester and Josh Beckett will lead the staff, but beyond them, John Lackey (6.11 ERA), Tim Wakefield (5.03 ERA) and Andrew Miller (5.27 ERA) have struggled mightily.

Erik Bedard was acquired at the deadline to provide some help, and he has been decent so far through six starts with a 3.66 ERA, and that could put him in line for the third spot in the rotation come October.

Willie Bloomquist, Arizona Diamondbacks

The Diamondbacks were dealt a blow when they lost shortstop Stephen Drew for the season with a broken ankle. They acquired John McDonald from the Blue Jays in the deal that brought Aaron Hill to the team as well, but it has been Willie Bloomquist who has gotten the majority of the starts there.

However, the journeyman utility player has not just stepped into the starting shortstop role but he has also been hitting lead-off and served as a fairly effective table setter. The fact of the matter though, is he is a 33-year-old part-time player, and to count on him for anything more is risky.

Phil Coke, Detroit Tigers

The Tigers made an interesting decision to move their top setup man Phil Coke to the rotation to open the season, and he struggled mightily with a 1-7 record and a 4.82 ERA over 14 starts. That, after appearing in 74 games and posting a 3.76 ERA in the bullpen last year.

Since returning to relief, Coke has been better with a 3.72 ERA over 27 appearances, but he will be relied on heavily come October. With left-handed sluggers like Adrian Gonzalez, David Ortiz, Robinson Cano, Curtis Granderson and Josh Hamilton as potential matchups, there will be plenty of crucial situations where Coke finds himself on the mound.

Jose Constanza, Atlanta Braves

This has been a trying season for a number of Braves players offensively, but perhaps none more than last year's phenom Jason Heyward. The team stuck with him as long as they could, but with a season line of .224 BA, 13 HR, 39 RBI, he has begun to lose at-bats of late.

The player who has benefited most from his ineffectiveness has been 27-year-old career minor-leaguer Jose Constanza, and he has hit .324 BA, 2 HR, 10 RBI in 102 at-bats. While that is impressive, only so much can be expected from the 5'9" spark plug of a rookie.

Neftali Feliz, Texas Rangers

There is no questioning the talent of Rangers closer Neftali Feliz, as he has some of the best stuff in all of baseball, but he has not been nearly as dominant in his second season as he was last year.

After going 40-of-43 in save opportunities last season, he is 26-of-32 this year and his strikeout numbers are down (9.2 K/9 vs. 6.8 K/9) while his walk numbers are up (2.3 BB/9 vs. 4.6 BB/9). All that points to a pitcher who is more susceptible to giving away a lead in the ninth inning.

Doug Fister, Detroit Tigers

Looking to add some depth to a rotation lacking a true second starter after Justin Verlander, the Tigers pulled off a six-man deal to acquire Mariners starter Doug Fister who was 3-12 despite a 3.33 ERA.

He has been even better since coming to Detroit, posting a 4-1 record with a 2.64 ERA. That has undoubtedly pushed him into position to make a playoff start, and could make him their No. 2 starter. A lot to handle for someone who has never pitched for a contender until this month, and we'll see how they handle it.

Zack Greinke, Milwaukee Brewers

The Brewers went all in on this season when they traded for Zack Greinke, and after a rocky start he has turned things around greatly, winning an impressive five games in August alone. He is also leading the NL with a 10.4 K/9 mark.

While he has been good this season, and filled the role of ace that the Brewers hoped he would, Greinke will be going up against the best pitcher on whatever team he is matched up against and that could be a tough task in his first postseason appearance.

Tommy Hanson, Atlanta Braves

The Braves have an interesting predicament when it comes to their starting rotation for the playoffs, as they will have to choose from the group of Tim Hudson, Derek Lowe, Jair Jurrjens, Tommy Hanson, Mike Minor and Brandon Beachy to assemble their rotation.

While the team would love for Hanson to be a part of that group, he has a 5.75 ERA over his past seven starts over the last two months. He is currently on the disabled list, and he could be off his game come October.

Casey McGehee, Milwaukee Brewers

After a breakout season last year with a line of .285 BA, 23 HR, 104 RBI, it seemed as though the Brewers had an impact third baseman for the next several years as the 28-year-old was just coming into his own.

However, he has struggled mightily this year with a much less impressive stat line of .236 BA, 12 HR, 65 RBI. It looked as though he was turning a corner last month when he had six home runs and 20 RBI, but at this point you can't be sure what to expect from McGehee.

Ivan Nova, New York Yankees

The Yankees' starting pitching has been scrutinized all season, and the team desperately needed someone to step up behind CC Sabathia. While Bartolo Colon and Freddy Garcia have performed well despite their advanced age, there is little doubt that rookie Ivan Nova has been the story of the rotation.

With a 15-4 record, Nova has set himself up as one of the favorites for AL Rookie of the Year, and he has earned himself a spot in the playoff rotation. However, he has pitched all season from the back end of the rotation, and matching up against front-of-the-rotation starters could mean a fall-off in the playoffs.

Hunter Pence, Philadelphia Phillies

The Phillies pulled the trigger on the big time deal, pillaging the Astros for the second straight year after acquiring Roy Oswalt last season before dealing for Hunter Pence this season.

It has paid major dividends for them so far, as Pence has hit .308 BA, 7 HR, 20 RBI and the team has gone 25-9 since picking him on July 29th. While there is no reason to think that he will not be just as good in October, this will be his first postseason experience and you never know how a player will respond to that type of stage.

Mariano Rivera, New York Yankees

It is awfully hard to pick against someone who has 598 career saves and another 42 in the postseason with an immaculate 0.71 ERA, but for the first time in years he has looked at least human at times.

He is 39-of-44 on save opportunities this year, and has given up three home runs as his WHIP has climbed from 0.82 to 0.92. Still terrific numbers, but at the very least there are some chinks in the armor. Maybe this is the year he runs into some trouble in October.

Joe Saunders, Arizona Diamondbacks

The Diamondbacks dealt ace Dan Haren last year at the deadline, landing Joe Saunders and a trio of prospects in return. Despite a 17-loss season last year, Saunders had a respectable 4.47 ERA, and he has found himself in much the same situation this year.

Despite a 3.88 ERA, Saunders has a 10-12 record, but he has not been nearly as good lately, with a 4.97 ERA over the past two months. Still, he could find himself in position for a postseason start and with those recent struggles that could end poorly.

C.J. Wilson, Texas Rangers

Not to take anything away from Wilson, as he has really come into his own since joining the rotation last season with a 30-14 record, but when you compare him to the other three AL teams' aces, C.C. Sabathia, Jon Lester and Justin Verlander, the Rangers no doubt miss Cliff Lee.

Wilson could be in for some tough-luck losses, as one mistake could be all that his opponents need to secure a victory with such good pitchers going for them. Trying to be too fine and avoid a mistake could work against Wilson.

Vance Worley, Philadelphia Phillies

The Phillies were expected to be carried by their phenomenal pitching this season, and while that has largely been the case, no one could have anticipated the type of numbers that rookie Vance Worley has put up as their fifth starter.

In 18 starts, Worley is 11-1 on the season and he has a terrific 2.85 ERA to go along with it. However, he has a 4.29 ERA over the past two months, and while he has still been a major contributor, that could be a sign that teams are starting to make adjustments to him.

Kevin Youkilis, Boston Red Sox

The Red Sox moved Kevin Youkilis to third base this season to make room for offseason prize Adrian Gonzalez, and he has still been solid, making the All-Star team and tallying 17 HR and 80 RBI.

However, his average has dropped to .263 this season as he has hit just over .200 over the past two months. Despite his current slumping, he will no doubt be in the lineup every game in the postseason, being counted on to drive in runs.