MLB Playoff Predictions: The MLB All-Postseason “Clutch” Team

The 2011 MLB regular season is finally coming to an end on Wednesday, and the all-important second season begins—the battle for the ultimate prize, the World Series championship.

By the end of the day on Wednesday, we will know who the eight participants will be. The division winners have already been determined, leaving just the wild-card selections up in the air. With Boston and Tampa Bay in the AL and Atlanta and St. Louis in the NL, two of those teams will be bemoaning their long winter, while two others will be extending their march towards glory.

Each team features players who thrive under pressure—those “go-to” types of ballplayers that succeed when everything is on the line. Stressful situations are what they live for, and in their eyes it’s what they get paid for as well.

So, just who are the clutch guys on each team that can carry their teams to postseason glory?

Here are our selections for the all-MLB clutch players at each position.

Catcher: Yadier Molina, St. Louis Cardinals

The St. Louis Cardinals are now tied with the Atlanta Braves for the lone wild-card spot in the NL, and if they happen to secure the coveted playoff spot, they will do so with a catcher who has clearly upped his game in the past during postseason play—Yadier Molina.

In four previous postseason appearances, Molina has hit a full 41 points better in the postseason (.315) than he has during regular season play (.274). That includes a robust .350 batting average in two World Series appearances.

Molina has also put up career-best numbers in his eighth season with the Cardinals, hitting .306 with 14 HR and 64 RBI. Look for Molina to continue those numbers if the Cards can somehow manage to get past the Braves and into the postseason.

First Base: Prince Fielder, Milwaukee Brewers

Milwaukee Brewers first baseman Prince Fielder may not have anything to prove in terms of his pending free agent status, but he would like nothing better than to “go out with a bang” if this were to be his last season in a Brewers uniform.

Fielder has only had one opportunity to play in the postseason, back in 2008 in a Divisional Series with the Philadelphia Phillies. Fielder did not do himself or his team proud, hitting just .071 in four games. However, considering the way he's heating up as evidenced by his three homers on Tuesday, we’re betting that his previous postseason experience is not a harbinger of things to come.

Second Base: Ian Kinsler, Texas Rangers

The American League features a trio of All-Star second baseman who will be featured in postseason play—Dustin Pedroia of the Boston Red Sox, Robinson Cano for the New York Yankees, and Texas Rangers second baseman Ian Kinsler.

Kinsler gets the slight nod here in terms of “clutch” postseason play. While Kinsler has only appeared in the postseason once, in 2010, he carried his Rangers’ team in a grueling five-game divisional series with the Tampa Bay Rays, hitting .444 with three homers and six RBI.

Kinsler has proven to be a valuable bat at the top of a very potent Rangers’ lineup, and with 31 HR and 76 RBI this season, all from the leadoff position, Kinsler is a threat just to start the game for any opposing pitcher.

Third Base: Adrian Beltre, Texas Rangers

Well, so much for only getting it done during a contract year.

Those were the general sentiments when talking about Texas Rangers third baseman Adrian Beltre, who in previous years only seemed to have terrific seasons when it came time to negotiate a new contract.

This season, with a multi-year contract already in place, Beltre has put together a terrific season for the Rangers, with a .293 batting average, 31 HR and 103 RBI.

Beltre has just one postseason appearance, back in 2005 with the Los Angeles Dodgers, hitting .267 in a Divisional Series loss to the St. Louis Cardinals. However, Beltre adds a potent bat to the Rangers lineup for the postseason, and it’s a lineup that creates matchup nightmares for whoever their opponents might be.

Shortstop: Derek Jeter, New York Yankees

There was so much talk this year about New York Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter and his supposed declining skills. Yet, Jeter will enter his 15^th postseason with a close to .300 batting average, and talk of his alleged erosion of skills has seriously abated.

Jeter’s postseason numbers speak for themselves. In fact, in his last World Series appearance at the age of 35, he hit a cool .407 in the Yankees’ victory over the Philadelphia Phillies.

Left Field: Josh Hamilton, Texas Rangers

Texas Rangers left fielder Josh Hamilton missed 40 games this season with a broken upper right arm suffered during an ill-advised head-first slide into home plate in a game against the Detroit Tigers. However, Hamilton still managed to hit 25 HR with 93 RBI along with a .300 batting average.

In last year’s postseason, Hamilton dominated in the ALCS against the New York Yankees, hitting .350 with four home runs, seven RBI, three stolen bases and eight walks. While his bat went silent in the World Series against the San Francisco Giants, the same can be said for the entire Rangers’ lineup, who managed just a .190 average in the five-game loss to the Giants.

Hamilton will have a huge say in the Rangers’ success this postseason, as he is eager to get back to the Fall Classic and prove to his critics that last year’s performance in the World Series was not the norm. He certainly showed what the norm can be during the ALCS against the Yankees.

Center Field: Jacoby Ellsbury, Boston Red Sox

During the 2011 regular season, Boston Red Sox center fielder Jacoby Ellsbury became the only player in Red Sox history to achieve a 30-30 season (30 home runs, 30 stolen bases). And he did it as a leadoff hitter to boot.

Ellsbury will no doubt garner serious consideration for the AL MVP Award, however his work may not be done quite yet.

Ellsbury was a late-season call-up back in 2007, and was added to the Red Sox’ postseason roster. He gave a huge spark to the Red Sox in their come-from-behind ALCS win over the Cleveland Indians, and then hit a sizzling .438 in the Red Sox four-game sweep of the Colorado Rockies in the ’07 World Series.

If the Red Sox are able to hold off the Tampa Bay Rays in the fight for the lone AL wild-card slot, Ellsbury could once again show off the magic that catapulted him onto the national scene in 2007.

Right Field: Justin Upton, Arizona Diamondbacks

Arizona Diamondbacks right fielder Justin Upton was a doe-eyed 19-year-old rookie when the D-Backs entered the postseason in 2007, getting to the NLCS before being swept by the Colorado Rockies.

Upton has continued developing, and this year he clearly put it all together, carrying the Diamondbacks to an improbable NL West Division title. Upton should be gaining serious consideration for NL MVP honors.

For the Diamondbacks to make any hay in the postseason, they will do so riding the back of Upton, who showed himself to be a leader this season. That doe-eyed rookie who sniffed the postseason four years ago is gone, replaced by a man with confidence and some serious game.

Designated Hitter: David Ortiz, Boston Red Sox

At 35-years-old, more than a few people questioned whether or not Red Sox designated hitter David Ortiz could still be an offensive presence. He certainly silenced those critics.

Ortiz is hitting .308 with 29 HR and 96 RBI heading into Tuesday night, and his .954 OPS is 32 points higher than his career mark of .922. Ortiz has a history of memorable walk-off hits, including in the postseason. If the Red Sox can survive the late-season collapse and Tampa Bay Rays’ surge, Ortiz will be the veteran that the team will look towards heading into the postseason.

Starting Pitcher: Cliff Lee, Philadelphia Phillies

When Philadelphia Phillies starting pitcher Cliff Lee started in the 2010 World Series as a member of the Texas Rangers, he entered having never lost in the postseason, with a 7-0 record in 16 starts with a 1.26 ERA. Lee was defeated twice by the San Francisco Giants during last year’s Fall Classic as the Rangers were toppled in five games.

Despite last season’s hiccup in the World Series, it’s hard to ignore a 7-2 record and lifetime 2.13 ERA in postseason play. Along with Roy Halladay and Cole Hamels, who both have terrific postseason numbers as well, the Phillies will without a doubt be the prohibitive favorites heading into postseason play.

Relief Pitcher: Mariano Rivera, New York Yankees

I mean seriously, was there ever really any doubt about this selection?

New York Yankees closer Mariano Rivera has a lifetime 0.71 ERA in the postseason, and we’re not talking a small sample size here.

That represents 15 postseasons, 31 separate postseason series, and seven World Series appearances. His 42 saves is even more remarkable, not to mention a 0.766 WHIP.

Manager: Charlie Manuel, Philadelphia Phillies

Philadelphia Phillies manager Charlie Manuel has guided is team to five consecutive NL East Division titles, three straight NLCS appearances and a World Series title in 2008, the first in 28 years for the Phillies.

Manuel seems to push all the right buttons, especially last season when the team was literally devastated with serious injuries to several key players. While many may believe that anyone could have managed the talent present on the Phillies’ roster, it still takes the right hand to guide the team through the many pitfalls that can occur during any season.

And there may be no one that acts as a better guide than Manuel.

Doug Mead is a featured columnist with Bleacher Report. His work has been featured on the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, SF Gate, CBS Sports, the Los Angeles Times and the Houston Chronicle. Follow Doug on Twitter, @Sports_A_Holic.