Here are the 15 best MLB games of 2020

December 20th, 2020

The Major League season may have been abbreviated in 2020, but there was certainly no shortage of unforgettable games.

From late-inning comebacks to walk-off grand slams to postseason thrillers, MLB Network ranked the Top 15 games from 2020.

1. World Series Game 4
In one of the most stunning World Series moments in recent memory, Brett Phillips came through in an improbable walk-off win for the Rays. Trailing by one and down to its final out, Tampa Bay had two runners on for Phillips, a .176 hitter since 2018 who did not have a single hit in the preceding 29 days. Yet instead of the Dodgers taking a 3-1 lead, the Rays evened the series after Phillips lined a base knock into center field, setting off a frenzied final play during which Randy Arozarena ultimately sprawled onto home plate for the winning run following a pair of Los Angeles errors.

2. Padres-Dodgers postseason thriller
This instant classic had a little bit of everything, from an epic home run robbery to a mammoth bat fip to a ... hat flip? In a battle of two of the game's best players, Cody Bellinger robbed Fernando Tatis Jr. of a potential go-ahead home run in the seventh inning. Dodgers reliever Brusdar Graterol celebrated the play by throwing his glove and flinging his hat, much to the displeasure of Manny Machado, who had heaved his bat after hitting a home run just one inning earlier.

3. Correa walks it off
With the Astros facing elimination in Game 5 of the AL Championship Series, Carlos Correa temporarily extended Houston's stay in the 2020 postseason when he launched a walk-off homer -- and an epic bat flip. Though it set off a wild celebration for the Astros, the Rays ultimately clinched the pennant in Game 7.

4. Brosseau takes Chapman deep
A month after Aroldis Chapman zipped a 100.5 mph fastball over Mike Brosseau's head -- an incident that ultimately led to the benches emptying -- it was Brosseau who got the last laugh in an epic 10-pitch battle in Game 5 of the ALDS. Batting in the eighth inning of a 1-1 game, Brosseau connected for what proved to be a series-clinching home run against a 100.2 mph fastball from Chapman.

5. Dodgers rally to win pennant
After rallying just to force an NLCS Game 7, the Dodgers -- who trailed 3-1 in the series -- found themselves trailing 3-2 going into the sixth inning of the winner-take-all showdown. Enrique Hernández tied it up with a solo shot in the sixth, then Bellinger delivered the decisive blast in the seventh.

6. Astros' wild comeback
The Astros entered this Sept. 12 showdown against the Dodgers having lost eight of their last nine games to fall below .500 at 22-23 -- and they found themselves trailing, 5-1, heading into the eighth inning. Houston, however, helped right the ship by scoring one in the eighth and five more in the ninth to secure a crucial 7-5 victory.

7. Padres rally to stun Cards
After winning Game 1 of the NL Wild Card Series, the Cardinals seemed poised to knock out the Padres when they jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the second inning of Game 2. Instead, San Diego rallied behind a pair of homers -- and one monumental bat flip -- from Fernando Tatis Jr. en route to a wild 11-9 victory that forced a decisive Game 3.

8. Machado slams Rangers
After having already hit grand slams in back-to-back games, the Padres solidified the "Slam Diego" moniker on Aug. 19, when Manny Machado extended the streak to three games by slamming a walk-off moonshot against the Rangers. As if that wasn't enough, San Diego made it four in a row by hitting yet another grand slam the following night.

9. Alonso walks it off vs. rival Yankees
Though Pete Alonso had some struggles in his sophomore season, he still provided one of the highlights of the Mets' 2020 campaign. The '19 NL Rookie of the Year clubbed a walk-off two-run homer in the 10th inning of a Sept. 3 clash with the crosstown-rival Yankees. That put the finishing touches on a thrilling comeback that also included a game-tying homer from J.D. Davis in the ninth inning.

10. Marlins-Blue Jays extra-innings slugfest
This one provided a fitting ending to Miami's 23-day road trip. The Marlins jumped out to an 8-0 lead and later led 11-4, only to have the Blue Jays rally to tie the game at 11-11 as part of their seven-homer barrage. Despite letting the lead slip away, however, Miami pushed across three in the top of the 10th to seal a 14-11 win.

11. Yanks eliminate Indians in back-and-forth thriller
After dropping Game 1 of the AL Wild Card Series, the Indians scored four runs in the first inning of Game 2 -- after rain delays before the game and in the middle of the bottom of the first. The Yanks quickly countered with a Giancarlo Stanton solo homer in the second inning, then took the lead on Gio Urshela's grand slam in the fourth. The teams traded blows throughout the game before New York rallied for a pair of runs in the top of the ninth to claim a 10-9 victory in the longest nine-inning game in MLB history, postseason or otherwise.

12. Padres rally to beat Mariners
The Mariners broke a tie by plating four runs in the top of the final inning in Game 1 of their Aug. 27 seven-inning doubleheader against San Diego. The Padres, however, had different plans, as they rallied for seven runs in the bottom half, capped off by Wil Myers' walk-off three run homer.

13. Tigers, Pirates slug it out
There was certainly no shortage of offense in this Aug. 7 game between the Tigers and Pirates at PNC Park. Pittsburgh rallied to close a late five-run deficit, eventually tying the game at 12-12 on Adam Frazier's two-run homer in the bottom of the ninth. The clubs traded runs in the 10th before Detroit plated four runs in the 11th to emerge with a 17-13 victory.

14. Taylor's walk-off throw
There are plenty of walk-off wins on this list, but this is the only one from the defensive side. Though the Padres and Dodgers would ultimately play more memorable games in 2020, this Aug. 5 meeting ended in remarkable fashion, with left fielder Chris Taylor throwing out Trent Grisham -- the potential tying run -- at the plate for the final out.

15. Maeda's near no-no ends in wild walk-off
Kenta Maeda took a no-hit bid into the ninth inning of this Aug. 18 game against the Brewers, only to have Eric Sogard quickly end the no-hitter -- and Maeda's night -- with a leadoff single. Milwaukee ultimately rallied against the Twins' bullpen to tie the game with a three-run ninth inning. Things would remain knotted at 3-3 until the 12th inning, when Byron Buxton raced home on a fielder's choice to lift Minnesota to a walk-off win.