The players listed below are all on teams that, if the season ended today, would make the playoffs. Some of their names may be familiar to you, but most people wouldn't consider these players to be star talents.
However, the fact that they have performed like legitimate stars for much or all of this season is a big part of why their respective clubs are in line to experience October baseball.
All stats updated through Sunday unless noted otherwise.
Jake Bauers, 1B, Brewers
A Top 100 Prospect nearly a decade ago in the Rays’ system, Bauers compiled an 87 wRC+ and minus-0.5 FanGraphs WAR through more than 600 Major League games split between five teams from 2018-25. He showed signs of life as a hitter last year with Milwaukee (114 wRC+), but he’s improved upon that by leaps and bounds in 2026.
Now 30 years old, Bauers’ 143 wRC+ is tied for 10th among qualified hitters. It has him sitting next to big boppers such as Kyle Schwarber, Ben Rice and Nick Kurtz. His 21 homers are already nine more than his previous single-season best. He’s near the top of many offensive metrics and has been the No. 1 hitter on arguably the No. 1 team in the sport.
Martín Pérez, SP, Braves
While the Braves have tried to weather a handful of rotation injuries, one of their best starters is a 35-year-old soft-tossing southpaw whom they designated for assignment back in April. In his first start after being re-signed, Pérez dealt six scoreless innings, and that was a sign of things to come. The 15-year vet with a 4.32 career ERA has a 2.96 ERA over 106 1/3 frames this season. He hasn’t allowed a run in his past three starts, spanning 18 innings. And since returning from a two-week stint on the injured list last month with a left forearm contusion, the 2022 All-Star has permitted a total of three runs and 14 hits in 25 innings.
Peter Lambert, SP, Astros
Hunter Brown entered the year as the Astros’ top starter, and the now-traded Spencer Arrighetti held that title for the season’s first couple of months. But on the whole, Houston’s best starting pitcher has been Lambert, who had a 6.28 big league ERA before this season, spent last season pitching in Japan and started 2026 in the Minors.
Now in his fifth MLB season, Lambert hasn’t allowed more than two earned runs in all but one of his previous 14 starts, dating back to May 30. His 3.11 ERA is a drastic improvement upon that aforementioned mark with the Rockies. One difference-maker has been Lambert’s four-seamer. Batters posted a .283 average and a .512 slugging percentage against that pitch before this season. Now? Lambert’s holding them to a .194 average and a .381 slug on his heater.
Andruw Monasterio, SS, Red Sox
Red Sox third baseman Caleb Durbin has really heated up at the plate after a cold beginning to his time with Boston following last winter’s trade with the Brewers. But how about what Monasterio -- who also came over in that swap -- has done of late? He’s been the Red Sox’s starting shortstop more often than not since July 1, right as the team was about to embark on its magical 27-3 stretch.
Since that date, Monasterio has produced a .319/.393/.517 slash line with 16 extra-base hits in 34 games (136 plate appearances). Among players with at least 100 PA since the beginning of July, Monasterio’s 158 wRC+ entering Sunday ranked eighth in the Majors.
Brent Headrick, RP, Yankees
There is a chance that Headrick will match or set the Yankees’ franchise record for most scoreless appearances in a season. The record is shared by Mariano Rivera and Tom Gordon, who each put up a zero 65 times in 2004. Headrick is at 52 scoreless outings with 38 games remaining in the Yanks’ season. The unsung left-hander who was claimed off waivers from the Twins prior to last season has the second-lowest ERA among all pitchers with at least 60 innings under their belt this year (1.59).
Ian Seymour, SP, Rays
After spending most of his 2025 debut season and the early portion of 2026 working short stints out of the bullpen, Seymour started against the Red Sox on June 8. There was no guarantee then that he would remain in the rotation, but he’s locked himself into a starting role with his performance over the past two-plus months for the AL-leading Rays
From that date, Seymour has a 3.58 ERA over 16 outings. He’s also struck out 82 batters over 65 1/3 innings, and his 30.9% K rate during this period ranks 10th among all pitchers with at least 50 IP, right in front of Paul Skenes (30.5%).
Ty France, 1B, Padres
While Fernando Tatis Jr., Manny Machado and Jackson Merrill have all experienced prolonged slumps this season, France -- who was signed to a Minor League contract in February -- has been a stabilizing force in San Diego’s lineup. This has been the best season of the 32-year-old’s career by some measures. Namely, his 142 wRC+, his 10.5% barrel rate, and his 49.2% hard-hit rate entering Sunday are all personal bests. France’s average exit velocity of 92.4 mph is nearly three ticks higher than his 2025 average, and it's the second-biggest year-to-year increase among qualified hitters. France’s 15 multihit games since the All-Star break are tied with the Rays’ Chandler Simpson for the most in the bigs.
Eric Lauer, SP Dodgers
Just when it looked like Lauer’s time in the Dodgers rotation would end upon the upcoming return of Tyler Glasnow, Justin Wrobleski’s forearm injury probably extends his run a little longer. He deserves it given how he has turned his year around after being DFA’d by Toronto and then traded to L.A. for cash considerations in May. Consider this:
Lauer with Blue Jays in 2026: 6.69 ERA over 36 1/3 innings (eight games), .264 opponents’ batting average, .542 opponents’ slugging percentage, 41.7% hard-hit rate, 9.9% walk rate
Lauer with Dodgers in 2026: 3.48 ERA over 62 innings (11 games), .229 opponents’ batting average, .407 opponents’ slugging percentage, 30.8% hard-hit rate, 5.9% walk rate
Jacob Webb, RP, Cubs
Webb has been a dependable bullpen arm for the bulk of his career; he entered 2026 with a 2.99 ERA across 247 games. But he has transformed into something far greater than dependable over the past couple of months.
Webb has strung together 21 scoreless appearances, dating back to June 24. That’s only five games shy of the Cubs’ Divisional Era record (since 1969) for most consecutive scoreless outings in a single season. Andrew Chafin set the mark in 2021. A change in Webb’s pitch mix has helped him find another level on the North Side. Those changes have also played a role in Webb's career highs in whiff rate (33.3%) and chase rate (35.2%).
Sam Antonacci, OF, White Sox
A lot of ink has been spilled on the White Sox sluggers -- Munetaka Murakami, Miguel Vargas, Colson Montgomery -- who have powered the club to first in the AL Central. Not as much is said about the rookie who, for much of the year, has been setting the table for the offense that ranks fifth in the Majors in home runs. Antonacci, a fifth-round Draft pick in 2024, made his MLB debut on April 15 and quickly became Chicago’s leadoff hitter. Thanks to his strong bat control (14.9% whiff rate entering Sunday), Antonacci’s .365 on-base percentage ranks inside the top 30 overall and sixth among rookies. He’s also tied with Murakami for the fifth-most runs scored by rookies (64).