MLB Postseason: 6 Players the Philadelphia Phillies Will Need Most in October

After a wild final night of the regular season, the wait is finally over.  For the Philadelphia Phillies and their patient fanbase, the journey toward another World Series title is about to begin.

One night after sealing the franchise record for regular season wins and demonstrating enough depth to squash the Atlanta Braves, Philadelphia now sets it sights on the MLB postseason.  The Phillies have had nothing but meaningless contests against division foes since beating St. Louis to clinch the top spot in the National League.

When the final out was recorded in Atlanta on Wednesday, the Phillies’ dream season transformed into a very real fight for survival against the league’s best.

On Saturday, Philadelphia will play host to the same Cardinals team that they knocked off on September 17th to win the National League East.  As they embark on a month-long quest to recapture baseball’s most coveted trophy, the Phillies will seek clutch performances in all facets of the game.

Built on a historically strong rotation, it would be almost too easy to point to Philadelphia’s pitching staff as the group most counted on for consistency and leadership.  In order to advance deep into the playoffs, however, it’s going to take a little more than quality starts—a lesson the team learned the hard way at the hands of the San Francisco Giants just a year ago.

The final month of the 2011 campaign requires a combination of steadying displays from franchise cornerstones and unlikely magic from role players.  But it’s the constant success of the big names that make each unpredictable moment able to happen.

For the Phillies, this means taking advantage of production from their core and leaning on the workhorses who have made them the best team in the majors all season long.  Here are six players the Philadelphia Phillies need to come through in October if they plan to parade down Broad Street this year:

Jimmy Rollins

Since the Phillies began their string of five straight National League East titles back in 2007, their leader has always been their outspoken shortstop.  Jimmy Rollins kicks off Philadelphia’s lineup and often provides a spark at the top of the order.

Rollins has spent much of his career shuffling between the prototypical leadoff speedster and a slugging power-hitter, providing the team with a constant stream of offensive firepower when he is healthy.  As true as it has been in the regular season, the old Philadelphia saying holds even more value in the playoffs: when Rollins goes, the Phillies go.

Looking at his impact during Philadelphia’s sweeping run to a World Series championship in 2008, the shortstop came through in pressure-filled situations and flashed his solid defensive ability whenever called upon.  His leadoff home run in the clinching victory over the Dodgers in Game 5 of the 2008 NLCS is the quintessential example of what Rollins means to this order.

Rollins also provided a walk-off double against Los Angeles in 2009, igniting a wild celebration that nearly carried the Phillies to a second consecutive world title. If the veteran infielder can find his stroke this October, Philadelphia could be scoring early and often, no matter who stands in their way.

Cliff Lee

After a much-welcomed return to the City of Brotherly Love in the offseason, Cliff Lee has been everything the Phillies wanted in the ace who once drove them within two victories of a World Series.  Posting a 17-8 record with a 2.40 ERA in the 2011 regular season, Philadelphia’s second ace will be counted on to stabilize the playoff rotation.

While Roy Halladay has been tabbed to start Game 1 of the NLDS, Lee’s starts in the subsequent contest may prove to be more important because of the situation.  If the reigning NL Cy Young winner is successful in a series opener, then Lee will be one with the opportunity to bury the opponent in Game 2.  Should Doc falter to begin a playoff set, the battle-tested lefty will be counted on to correct the course of the series.

Should he exhibit the same sort of dominance he was capable of throughout the season, Lee has the chance to leave his mark in each round.  When his command is pinpoint and he effectively changes speeds, Cliff Lee is arguably the most challenging hurler to face in the major leagues.

Evident in each of his six complete-game shutouts, Lee is able to set the game’s best down in order. Roy Halladay may not need to replicate his dominance in the playoff opener last year to keep the Phillies afloat.  With Lee on the mound in Game 2, Philadelphia is in good hands.

Hunter Pence

In need of a right-handed bat to replace the production of the departed Jayson Werth, Ruben Amaro Jr. went out and got his man. Hunter Pence has repaid the Phillies front office with solid offensive output and undeniable effort.  For the latest addition to Philadelphia's lineup, it's time to prove that he can perform on the big stage.

Whether Pence hits in the third position or backs Ryan Howard in the postseason batting order on Saturday, he will need to finish what he started when he arrived just before the trade deadline.  Sporting a .314 average accompanied by 22 home runs and 97 RBI, Philadelphia's right fielder has the chance to provide stability to an order that has been very inconsistent since the 2008 World Series.

Pence also provides a hard-nosed defensive presence in the outfield, something that the Phillies lacked even when Werth was on the roster.  Gunning down Dan Uggla in the final regular season game to keep the score close should be all the Phillie faithful need to see in preparation for Pence patrolling the outfield in October.

Pence has become a permanent fixture in Philadelphia's order and will need to pick up any opportunities left behind by their core offensive players.  If Ryan Howard and Chase Utley are unable to get it going as the postseason moves along, the Phillies' newest major piece will be heavily relied upon to carry the load.

Roy Oswalt

Despite missing nearly a month and a half of the regular season, the Phillies’ fourth starter could be the most crucial man in the playoff rotation. After an impressive outing facing a desperate Atlanta Braves ball club, Roy Oswalt looks tuned up and ready for several key starts during the 2011 postseason.

Much like Cliff Lee, Oswalt’s importance to the team this October may lie in the situations in which he is slated to pitch.  As the fourth starter in the rotation, the veteran may not see a start in the division series against the Cardinals.  However, his Game 4 starts in a potential NLCS matchup or a World Series clash may turn out to be the most important for Philadelphia during a deep playoff run.

The fourth game is typically the most important in any seven-game series, no matter the sport.  Last season, the Phillies fell flat in Game 4 of the NLCS against the San Francisco Giants when trying to knot the set at two games apiece.  Unable to recover, Philadelphia fell in six games to the eventual champions.

Whether the Phillies are looking to get level or attempting to drive in the final nail in their opponent’s coffin, Oswalt will be called upon to deliver in a vital spot. If his starts are anything like his final meeting with the Braves, Philadelphia will be marching late into the season’s final weeks.

Ryan Madson

When the Philadelphia Phillies hoisted the World Series trophy in 2008, it was due in large part to their late-inning success.  The entire campaign saw the team finish with a record of 89-0 when leading after eight innings. While the back end of the bullpen has a different look than it did four seasons ago, it will still play a critical role in how far the Phillies go in the upcoming postseason.

Leading the charge will be veteran reliever Ryan Madson, the set-up-man-turned-closer who helped the team to the crown in ’08. Because of the injury to Brad Lidge, Madson was forced to step up and take on the job of getting the final three outs on a nightly basis.

The 31-year-old right-hander responded by recording 32 saves in 34 opportunities, an efficiency that reminds many of Philadelphia’s run in 2008. If the past is any indication of what it takes to be a champion, late-inning zeros are precious to any team looking for a title. Phillies fans will be quick to point to Lidge’s meltdown in Game 4 of the 2009 World Series as a costly moment in their pursuit of a second-straight World Series win.

In a postseason filled with tight games and stressful at-bats, the Phillies will need to have their closer calmly sending opponents down in the ninth inning.  Madson has done more than enough to fill in for Lidge during the regular season, but his true test awaits as October approaches.

Carlos Ruiz

Through all of the Phillies' playoff success over the past five years, the most surprising source of offensive production has come from their signal-caller behind the plate. Carlos Ruiz remains one of the most important players in Philadelphia’s title chase and must handle the pressure at the bottom of the order.

Batting in the bottom third of the Phillies order, Ruiz has come through with a .280 career batting average in the postseason. As if his consistency in the lower part of the lineup wasn’t enough, Ruiz’s astounding .412 on-base percentage sets the table for the top of the order. When crooked numbers in the playoffs are often a result of turning the lineup over effectively, "Chooch" is among the league’s best in his position.

Ruiz also brings a very confident defensive game to his spot behind the plate. Catching for Philadelphia’s staff of aces throughout the season, his ability to call the pitches and manage baserunners places him in the top tier of playoff catchers.

As the regular season comes to a close, the Phillies will be looking for an offensive boost wherever they can find it.  If Ruiz can once again provide the lift the team needs along with solid defense, he may be catching the final pitch that ignites a wild World Series celebration.