Each team's most unlikely postseason hero

Every postseason team features its share of star power -- the household names who command the spotlight when October rolls around. But look a little closer, and you’ll find that many great playoff runs also featured an unexpected hero who rose to the occasion when it mattered most.

Unsung playoff heroes don’t emerge every year, but every franchise can point to at least one in its postseason history.

Angels: Adam Kennedy

The Angels needed one more win against the Twins in the 2002 American League Championship Series to clinch the first pennant in team history, and their heroics in the clincher came from a rather unlikely source. Kennedy, the team's No. 9 hitter, was eighth on the Halos with seven regular-season homers, but he hit three long balls in ALCS Game 5 in a 13-5 rout.

Astros: Brandon Backe

It was the final day of the 2004 regular season, the red-hot Astros needed just one more win to clinch the NL Wild Card, and having Roger Clemens slated to make the start likely helped Houston feel quite good about its chances. But Clemens fell ill, and the Astros had to turn to Backe, a converted outfielder, who promptly pitched them to the win. He earned his chances to start in the postseason, and in NLCS Game 5, he pitched the game of his life against the Cardinals, throwing eight innings to cement his legacy.

Athletics: Howard Ehmke

As the story goes, when Ehmke, a washed-up spot starter, was called into manager Connie Mack's office in August 1924, he was expecting to be notified of his release. But instead, the two made a deal: Ehmke would scout the Cubs while resting his sore arm for the rest of the regular season, and Mack would give him the start in Game 1 of the World Series. Well, he got that start and he struck out a then-World Series record 13 batters against a lineup featuring future Hall of Famers Rogers Hornsby, Hack Wilson and Kiki Cuyler.

Blue Jays: Ernie Clement

Typically a glove-first player, Clement entered the 2025 playoffs with a career 87 OPS+ in five seasons before going on an absolute tear in the postseason. Clement recorded an MLB postseason-record 30 hits, besting Randy Arozarena’s previous highwater mark of 29 hits in the 2020 postseason. Clement was consistently excellent throughout the postseason, posting a 1.554 OPS and nine hits in four ALDS games against the Yankees, an .809 OPS and nine hits in seven ALCS games against the Mariners and an .859 OPS and 12 hits in the World Series against the Dodgers.

Braves: Eddie Rosario

Much like another Eddie who was an unlikely hero in Braves postseason lore -- Eddie Perez, who was named the 1999 NLCS MVP against the Mets -- Rosario hit .560 with a double, a triple and three homers to take home NLCS MVP honors in 2021, leading Atlanta to its first World Series appearance since that 1999 campaign. Rosario was a Trade Deadline acquisition along with fellow outfielders Joc Pederson and Jorge Soler, who would be named World Series MVP in the Braves' six-game win over the Astros.

Brewers: Yuniesky Betancourt

While Betancourt posted an 80 OPS+ and -1.1 WAR (per FanGraphs) for three teams over nine seasons in the Majors, he had a big postseason for the Brewers in 2011, his only taste of October baseball. The shortstop went 13-for-42 (.310) with five extra-base hits (one homer) and six RBIs in that year’s playoffs, collecting multiple clutch knocks as Milwaukee reached the NLCS before losing in six games to the Cardinals.

Cardinals: David Freese

One of the preeminent examples of October turning an unheralded player into a baseball immortal, David Freese’s 2011 postseason remains the stuff of legend. The statistics -- 14 extra-base hits, 21 RBIs (then a playoff record) and a 1.258 OPS -- are incredible, but even they only tell part of the story. Freese dominated Milwaukee in the NLCS, earning MVP honors with a 1.691 OPS, then cemented his place in baseball lore with a World Series defined by two of the sport’s most unforgettable swings -- a game-tying triple with the Cardinals down to their final strike in Game 6 and a walk-off homer two innings later. Even then, he wasn’t finished, as he delivered another game-tying hit early in Game 7 to help St. Louis complete its improbable championship run.

Cubs: Mike Montgomery

For all of the stars who contributed to the Cubs’ 2016 World Series championship, the responsibility for ending the club’s 108-year wait ultimately came down to Montgomery. No one could have predicted the lefty swingman would be the pitcher tasked with getting the final out of Game 7 against Cleveland, but that's exactly where Montgomery found himself after Aroldis Chapman gave up the tying homer to Rajai Davis in the eighth and the game went into extras. When play resumed following a rain delay, the Cubs took the lead with two runs in the top of the 10th, then called upon Carl Edwards Jr. to pitch the bottom of the frame. Edwards quickly retired the first two batters, but after giving up a walk and an RBI single, he was removed for Montgomery. With the tying run on base, Montgomery got Michael Martinez to ground out to third baseman Kris Bryant for the final out, finally ending the Cubs’ lengthy title drought.

D-backs: Craig Counsell

Everyone remembers Luis Gonzalez's Game 7 walk-off against Mariano Rivera and the Yankees in the 2001 World Series. But for then-Arizona manager Bob Brenly, Counsell's homer in Game 1 was right up there in importance as well. Counsell, the NLCS MVP, teed off against Mike Mussina in the first inning, giving a surge of confidence to his young organization and signaling that the D-backs could, in fact, go toe-to-toe with the vaunted Yanks.

Dodgers: Mickey Hatcher

Remember Kirk Gibson's hobbled walk-off homer in Game 1 of the 1988 World Series? Hatcher was the guy that was starting at first in place of the injured Gibson, and he made the most of his opportunity, leading the club with five runs and five RBIs during the World Series, homering in Games 1 and 5, and hitting safely in each of the Dodgers' final eight postseason games.

Guardians: Jaret Wright

Wright's rookie-season heroics have endured in Cleveland lore for two decades. In 1997, the then-21-year-old hurler helped the Tribe clinch a third straight AL Central title and went 3-0 in October, including a win in Game 4 of the World Series.

Giants: Edgar Renteria

The veteran Renteria gathered the Giants' position players for an emotional speech late on Sept. 26, 2010, tearfully encouraging his teammates for a turnaround to the team's shaky offense -- he knew his career was in its final stages, and he wanted to go out a champion. It was a turning point. San Francisco's bats woke up, and Renteria himself hit .412 with six runs and six RBIs in the World Series, with the game-winning homer in the decisive Game 5. He was named World Series MVP.

Mariners: Leo Rivas

Rivas, who had just 91 career regular-season games under his belt at the time, delivered a pinch-hit game-tying RBI single in Game 5 of the 2025 ALDS against the Tigers. It was the first-ever postseason swing for the then-28-year-old, who helped send the game to extra innings, when the Mariners won in a thrilling 15-inning win that sent Seattle to its first ALCS appearance since 2001.

Marlins: Alex Gonzalez

The Marlins saw a 3-1 lead disappear in Game 4 of the 2003 World Series, and as they remained tied with the Yankees into the 12th inning, manager Jack McKeon asked his dugout for a big hit. Little did he know it would come from Gonzalez, a glove-first shortstop mired in a deep postseason slump. His walk-off shot carried just over a low section of the left-field wall to even the series at 2-2.

Mets: Donn Clendenon

After Clendenon was acquired in June 1969, his right-handed power bat and veteran leadership helped the "Miracle Mets" complete their memorable comeback. Despite not playing against the Braves in the NLCS, Clendenon provided an MVP effort in the Fall Classic against Baltimore, hitting tiebreaking homers in Games 2 and 4 and another long ball in the decisive Game 5.

Nationals: Howie Kendrick

When the Nationals won the first World Series title in franchise history in 2019, Kendrick was a big reason why. The veteran infielder delivered one of the biggest hits of that postseason for Washington in the NLDS, belting a 10th-inning grand slam to lift the Nats over the favored Dodgers in Game 5. Kendrick then hit .333 to take home NLCS MVP honors in Washington's sweep of the Cardinals, delivering three doubles and three RBIs in an 8-1 victory in Game 3. He also came through in the clutch again with a go-ahead two-run homer in the seventh inning of World Series Game 7 against the Astros.

Orioles: Delmon Young

Young fueled the underdog Orioles' Game 2 victory in the 2014 ALDS with a pinch-hit three-run double that put Baltimore ahead, 7-6, at Camden Yards. "It's still the loudest roar I think I've ever heard in real life," said catcher Caleb Joseph, who was in the on-deck circle.

Padres: Sterling Hitchcock

Hitchcock didn't start the 1998 season in the rotation for the star-studded Padres. But he ended the season by outdueling Randy Johnson, Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine and David Cone in the playoffs. Hitchcock struck out 27 batters in two NLDS starts, beat Maddux in Game 3 of the NLCS, then struck out eight and had a critical hit in the clinching Game 6 before San Diego was swept by New York in the World Series.

Phillies: Del Unser

Reaching the playoffs for the first time in his career, Unser started only one game on the Phillies’ road to a championship in 1980, but he managed to make his presence felt nonetheless. The journeyman outfielder was instrumental in Philadelphia’s NLCS clinching victory against the Astros, tying the game with a pinch-hit single in the eighth and later scoring the deciding run in the 10th after a one-out double. Unser had another huge knock as a pinch-hitter in Game 2 of the World Series against the Royals, as the Phillies rallied from two runs down to flip the lead in the eighth inning. He did it again in Game 5, tying the game with a pinch-hit double off Dan Quisenberry in the top of the ninth and coming around to score the go-ahead run three batters later.

Pirates: Hal Smith

Bill Mazeroski will be forever remembered as the ultimate hero of the 1960 World Series for his iconic walk-off blast in Game 7, one of the most famous home runs in baseball history. But if the Yankees hadn’t rallied to tie the game with two runs in the top of the ninth, the glory would have gone to Smith instead. After entering as a defensive replacement in the top of the eighth, the platoon catcher came up with two outs and the Pirates down by one in the bottom half and swatted a go-ahead three-run homer that looked like it might clinch the title for the Pirates. Alas, it would take Mazeroski’s homer to do that, relegating Smith’s clutch dinger to the margins of history.

Rangers: Josh Sborz

Although the 2023 Rangers had an elite offense and a capable rotation, their bullpen struggled throughout the year and loomed as a potential problem come October. However, the club’s relief corps did its job in the postseason, blowing just one save opportunity on the road to a World Series title. Sborz was especially effective, allowing only one run on four hits over 12 innings (0.75 ERA) after posting a 5.50 ERA in the regular season. The righty closed out the Rangers’ Fall Classic clincher against the D-backs with 2 1/3 scoreless innings, earning the second save of his career in the process.

Rays: Mike Brosseau

Brosseau, whom the Rays signed as an undrafted free agent in 2016, appeared in 36 games for Tampa Bay in the pandemic-shortened 2020 campaign, and he did well, posting a .936 OPS in a small sample of plate appearances. But the infielder made a name for himself that postseason, when he launched one of the most famous home runs in franchise history, taking none other than flame-throwing closer Aroldis Chapman deep for a walk-off homer in Game 5 of the ALDS against the Yankees, sending the Rays to the ALCS.

Red Sox: Steve Pearce

Pearce launched a pair of home runs in Boston's title-clinching victory over the Dodgers in Game 5 of the 2018 World Series, securing the World Series MVP Award. The first homer was a two-run shot off Clayton Kershaw to give the Red Sox an early lead. He then belted another home run in the eighth, this one a solo shot off Dodgers reliever Pedro Báez. It was his third home run in two days, after he came through with a game-tying blast in Game 4 before breaking the game open on a bases-clearing double in the ninth. Boston acquired Pearce in a trade with Toronto in late June, and he wound up hitting .289 with a pair of doubles and four homers in the postseason. That included a .333 performance (4-for-12) with a double and three homers in the World Series.

Reds: Billy Bates

The 5-foot-7, 155-pound Bates was on the Reds' 1990 postseason roster mainly for his speed, so he was quite surprised when he was summoned to pinch-hit against future Hall of Famer Dennis Eckersley in the 10th inning of Game 2 of the World Series. He hit an infield single -- his only hit in a Cincinnati uniform -- and later came around to score on Joe Oliver's walk-off single. The Reds went on to win the World Series, and Bates never again played in the Major Leagues.

Rockies: Tony Wolters

The Rockies' biggest postseason hit of the decade came off the bat of a player from the very end of their bench. In the 13th inning of a nailbiter of a 2018 NL Wild Card Game, with Colorado having been held scoreless by the Cubs for the last 11 innings, Wolters recreated the old "Rocktober" magic. The reserve catcher, who'd been double-switched into the game in the 12th, knocked a two-out, two-strike tiebreaking hit up the middle off Chicago's Kyle Hendricks to deliver the Rockies' first playoff victory since 2009 and send them on to the Division Series to face the Brewers.

Royals: Dane Iorg

Iorg's 10-year career was largely forgettable, but he finished with a lifetime .522 postseason batting average in 23 at-bats and won two championships, one with the Cardinals in 1982 and another with the Royals in '85. The latter World Series is best remembered for umpire Don Denkinger’s blown call at first base in the bottom of the ninth inning in Game 6, putting the tying run on base for the Royals with the Cardinals three outs away from a championship. But that call might not have mattered if it wasn't for Iorg, who had a .599 OPS over 64 games in 1985. Pinch-hitting with one out and the bases loaded, Iorg blooped a two-run single to right field, walking it off and forcing Game 7. The Royals went on to win that one, too, clinching the franchise’s first title.

Tigers: Mickey Stanley

Hall of Famer Al Kaline's return from injury in 1968 created a logjam in the Tigers' lineup, but Stanley's successful move from the outfield to shortstop allowed Detroit to get Kaline's bat in the lineup for its World Series run.

Twins: Gene Larkin

Mostly a role player throughout his seven years with the Twins, Larkin's hit off the bench in Game 7 of the 1991 World Series against the Braves clinched the franchise's most recent title and solidified his place in Minnesota lore. "Obviously, it was a thrill of a lifetime and something you dream about when you first pick up a ball in the backyard," Larkin said.

White Sox: Geoff Blum

Blum needed only one at-bat in the 2005 World Series against Houston to become a postseason hero. He clubbed the game-winning home run to right field in Game 3 to put the White Sox one step closer to a sweep and their first championship in 88 years.

Yankees: Aaron Boone

The Yankees acquired Boone from the Reds at the 2003 Trade Deadline to shore up the hot corner, but after he posted. .720 OPS for New York in the regular season, he started off the postseason in a 5-for-31 (.161) slump. He wasn't even in the starting lineup for Game 7 of the ALCS, as the Yankees chose to go with Enrique Wilson at third base, banking on Wilson’s strong head-to-head numbers against Boston starter Pedro Martinez. But all it took was one swing for Boone to forever cement himself as a key figure in the Yankees-Red Sox rivalry. Leading off the 11th inning against knuckleballer Tim Wakefield after previously entering as a pinch-runner, Boone crushed the first pitch he saw into the seats for a walk-off, pennant-clinching home run.