MLB Playoffs 2011: 7 Unsung Heroes Who Could Carry Their Teams

Every baseball team has a superstar, but often times the unsung hero saves the day in the playoffs. Albert Pujols, Ryan Howard, Alex Rodriguez and Justin Verlander are just some of the names that will be floating around as potential high-impact players.

While all of these players will probably be very important, I am creating this list to celebrate the unsung hero and to talk about one guy from every team who could get hot and carry that team to victory.

Raul Ibanez, Philadelphia Phillies

Raul Ibanez has been in the doghouse for a significant portion of the season. With the emergence of John Mayberry, Jr., he definitely became less popular. However, despite the fact that his season has been difficult, I think that he could go on to be a very valuable contributor.

Despite his average only being .245, he still hit 20 home runs this season and drove in 84 runs. When I look at the ability to carry a team, I generally look at power production because there is no easier way to contribute a lot of runs than to slam a home run. Ibanez is probably in his final postseason with the Philadelphia Phillies, but perhaps he will come out as an unsung hero.

J.J. Putz, Arizona Diamondbacks

I know that J.J. Putz is somewhat well known, but I think the amazing season he has had so far has gone somewhat unrecognized. He had 45 saves with a 2.91 ERA and an extremely low 0.91 WHIP. Every team needs someone to pitch the ninth inning, but Putz has done that especially well.

I know the Arizona Diamondbacks are kind of on the ropes right now and are facing elimination. However, any success they have will involve being ahead at the end of the ninth inning. There are very few pitchers I was rather have on the mound than JJ Putz.

Jhonny Peralta, Detroit Tigers

Jhonny Peralta has truly been great this season, but he is oftentimes underappreciated. He hit .299 with 21 home runs and 86 RBI this season. Very few shortstops are capable of that type of production. However, since Peralta has the likes of Miguel Cabrera and Victor Martinez in the lineup, he can be forgotten.

With that type of power production, he is absolutely capable of driving in runs in bunches and will be able to perhaps carry the Detroit Tigers if he is needed.

Jon Jay, St. Louis Cardinals

Jon Jay can be forgotten in a lineup that features the likes of Albert Pujols, Lance Berkman and Matt Holliday. However, Jay is capable of hitting for a good average with some power. September was one of his best months as he batted .303.

While he may not obviously have the potential like the previous three hitters, he will likely be able to deliver when it counts. You don't always need power. Timely hitting can also carry a team, and Jay will provide a high average for the St. Louis Cardinals.

Brett Gardner, New York Yankees

I put Brett Gardner on this list because he has the speed that none of the other New York Yankees has. He stole 49 bases throughout the season, and because of this a lot of singles become doubles. This is incredibly valuable in a lineup with a lot of run producers such as Curtis Granderson, Robinson Cano and Mark Teixeira.

I know that he has a relatively low average for the season, but I am not too concerned about this. He has been pretty hot this postseason, so it will be interesting to see how much more he can deliver. He can produce a ton of runs for the Yankees, which could be incredibly important of course.

Corey Hart, Milwaukee Brewers

It is hard to call Corey Hart an unsung hero, but he oftentimes gets lost behind Ryan Braun and Prince Fielder. Those two men are amazing, but Hart had a very good year himself, batting .285 with 26 home runs and 63 RBI.

If he starts hitting for power like he did throughout this season, he could carry the Brewers. The Brewers offense is so loaded that it will probably not need to be carried by one person. However, Hart has the potential to do a lot of damage this postseason and help the Brewers go deep.

Mike Napoli, Texas Rangers

I know Mike Napoli has received more and more media attention as the season goes on. However, it's still surprising when a catcher carries the offense. He has quite a bit of power, as evidenced by his .320 average with 30 home runs and 75 RBI.

I like what I have seen from him so far in the playoffs, and he has the potential to get really hot. He didn't drive in a ton of runs this year, but I think that RBI does have somewhat of a bias. Those numbers might be artificially low just because his teammates didn't happen to be on base when he hit.