The greatest playoff performers in MLB history

Altuve might not be the most well-liked player in the majors, and his role amid the sign-stealing controversy of the Houston Astros' 2017 World Series triumph is a big reason. That said, what he's accomplished in the postseason is truly magnificent. Entering the 2024 postseason, Altuve was one of seven players to appear in at least 100 postseason contests (105). His 27 postseason home runs rank second all-time, while he also resides in the top five for postseason hits (118), runs (89) and doubles (21). The two-time World Series champion was named ALCS MVP in 2019.

A World Series champion with the Marlins in 2003 and Boston in 2007, Beckett was MVP of the former series. That's when he posted a 1.10 ERA and tossed a complete-game, five-hitter in the Marlins' clinching 2-0 victory at Yankee Stadium in Game 6. Then, in '07, Beckett was named ALCS MVP for going 2-0 with a 1.93 ERA against Cleveland. Beckett is one of two pitchers to throw three postseason complete games after making their first playoff appearance in the 2000s. 

Berra's 10 World Series championships and 75 games played in the event — all with the New York Yankees — are more than any other player in major league history. Entering the 2024 postseason, Berra is first all-time with 71 World Series hits, ranked third with 12 home runs, tied for first with 10 doubles and second with 39 RBI. Oh yeah, and Berra's stellar work behind the plate in the postseason has also been lauded through the decades. He caught Don Larsen's perfect game in Game 5 of the 1956 World Series against the rival Brooklyn Dodgers.

Compared to others on this list, Brett's 43 postseason games don't seem like much. However, one of baseball's greatest hitters certainly made the most of this grand stage. Brett, the ALCS MVP en route to Kansas City's 1985 World Series crown, was a career .337 hitter in the postseason, with 10 home runs, 23 RBI, eight doubles and five triples. Perhaps most impressive, Brett batted .373 (19-for-51) in 13 World Series games for the Royals. 

The St. Louis Cardinals' speedster still holds the record for highest World Series batting average (.391) with at least 20 Fall Classic games played (he played 21). A two-time World Series champion, Brock collected 34 hits in those contests, four of which were home runs and seven doubles, while also stealing 14 bases. During the 1967 and '68 World Series combined, Brock went 25-for-57 with seven stolen bases apiece.

A three-time World Series champion (2010, '12, '14) with the San Francisco Giants, Bumgarner built quite the impressive postseason resume, going 8-3 with a 2.11 ERA and three complete games in 16 outings. The highlight came in 2014, when the left-hander was named NLCS MVP for going 1-0 with a 1.72 ERA in two starts against St. Louis. Bumgarner followed that up by winning World Series MVP, going 2-0 with an 0.43 ERA, and throwing five scoreless innings of relief to earn the save in the Giants' 3-2 Game 7 victory at Kansas City.

In the annals of Major League Baseball, Ford might be the greatest postseason starting pitcher of all time. The record books, at least, back that up. A six-time World Series champion with the New York Yankees (1950, '53, '56, 1958, '61, '62). Ford leads all major league pitchers in World Series starts (22), wins (10), losses (eights), innings (146), and strikeouts (94), while posting a 2.71 ERA. Ford was named World Series MVP in 1961, when he won two starts against the Cincinnati Reds by throwing 14 scoreless and allowing six total hits.

A six-time World Series champion, Gehrig was remarkably productive during his 34 World Series games with the New York Yankees. Entering the 2024 postseason, "The Iron Horse" ranked among the top five all time in World Series runs (30), home runs (10), RBI (35), walks (26), on-base percentage (.483) slugging (.731), all while batting a robust .361 during the Fall Classic. In the 1928 and '32 World Series, Gehrig went a combined 15-for-28 with seven home runs and 17 RBI.

The great Bob Gibson is one of four players to be named World Series MVP on two occasions -- 1964, 1967. He pitched in nine World Series games — all starts — going 7-2 with a sterling 1.89 ERA, 92 strikeouts and just 17 walks over 81 innings. And, at a time when pitchers and manager didn't worry about pitch counts, Gibson completed eight of those contests while helping the St. Louis Cardinals win those two World Series titles. 

Hershiser was never flashy, but definitely consistently successful on the mound. Especially during the postseason, where he went 8-3 in 22 appearances — 18 starts — with a 2.59 ERA, four complete games and 97 strikeouts while pitching for the Los Angeles Dodgers, Cleveland and the New York Mets. Hershiser earned League Championship Series MVP honors with the Dodgers in 1988 and Cleveland in 1995. While helping Los Angeles win the '88 title, the right-hander went 2-0 while yielding two total earned runs and completing both starts against Oakland to win World Series MVP.

Also known as "Mr. October." A five-time World Series champion, Jackson was the first position player to win MVP honors of the Fall Classic twice (1973, '77). He hit 10 of his 18 postseason home runs in the World Series, including three during his legendary performance in the New York Yankees' clinching 8-4 home victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 6 of the '77 Fall Classic. In 27 World Series games with Oakland and the Yankees, Jackson batted .357, recorded 24 RBI and scored 21 runs.  

There's no argument when it comes to the best postseason performer in Major League Baseball history. The New York Yankees superstar and legend, Jeter is a five-time World Series champion (1996, '98, '99, 2000 '09) and the number of postseason individual records he logs is quite impressive. Those postseason marks include: most games played (158), at-bats (650), doubles (32) and triples (five). In addition, Jeter boasts a career .308 career postseason batting average, and is the only major leaguer to score at least 100 runs (111) and record 200 hits in the playoffs. Not to mention, "Mr. November" was a wizard with the glove when the games mattered most.

Another two-time World Series MVP, with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1963 and '65. Koufax won four World Series with the Dodgers franchise — one in Brooklyn and three in Los Angeles. Though the legendary left-hander sported a modest 4-3 record in eight World Series games (seven starts), he posted a minuscule 0.95 ERA, recorded four complete games, yielded just two homers and struck out 61 while walking only 11.

Mantle won seven World Series (1951, '52, '53, '56, '58, '61, '62) titles with New York Yankees, and as of the start of the 2024 postseason, his 18 home runs in the Fall Classic are more than any other player in the history of the game. Mantle is also the all-time leader in World Series runs (42), RBI (40) and walks (43) across his 65 games. Amid all the Yankee postseason greatness on this list, Mantle's performance is among the elite.

The great Mathewson made 11 World Series starts and completed 10 of them, a record among all major leaguers. Sure, Mathewson was just 5-5 during those starts, but he posted a brilliant 0.97 ERA over 101 2/3 innings in those contests for the New York Giants. A World Series champion in 1905, the Hall of Fame right-hander also struck out 48 against just 10 walks during his Fall Classic tenure. 

One of the greatest hitters of all time, Molitor ranks all-time in postseason batting average (.368) for those who have played 20 or more playoff games. Molitor had to wait 16 seasons to win his only World Series. This would be 1993 with Toronto, when he was 12-for-24 with two home runs, two doubles, two triples, eight RBI and did not strike out even once en route to be named World Series MVP. It remains one of the greatest Fall Classic performances ever.

One can argue that Ortiz's two-run, game-winning homer in the bottom of 12th inning in Game 4 of the 2004 ALCS to stave off elimination is the biggest long ball in Boston Red Sox history. Ortiz would hit two more homers during Boston's historic comeback from an 0-3 series deficit against the rival New York Yankees, and was named ALCS MVP en route to the team's first World Series title since 1918. During the 2013 World Series, Ortiz went 11-for-16 with two homers and six RBI to earn MVP honors. In 85 postseason contests, Ortiz batted .289 with an OPS of .947, 17 home runs, 22 doubles and 61 RBI.

Solid as they come, Pujols boasts a .319 career postseason batting average, the highest by any major leaguer who played in at least 75 playoff games. In addition, Pujols ranks among the all-time top 10 in postseason home runs (19), doubles (18), RBI (54) and walks (50). A two-time World Series champion with the St. Louis Cardinals, Pujols was named NLCS MVP in 2004, when he went 14-for-28 with four home runs and nine RBI. 

Not only is Ramirez a two-time World Series champion with the Boston Red Sox (2004, '07), his 29 home runs — in 111 games — are the most in postseason history. The 2004 World Series MVP, Ramirez is tied for first with 72 postseason walks and ranks second all-time in playoff history with 78 RBI, and is tied for sixth with 19 doubles. Not to mention, Ramirez, who took part in four World Series, batted .285 for his postseason career while playing for Cleveland, Boston and the Los Angeles Dodgers. 

Rivera is the greatest postseason closer in the history of baseball,  — and it's not even close. A five-time World Series champion with the New York Yankees (1996, '98, '99, 2000, '09), the right-hander is MLB's all-time postseason saves leader with 42, and had a ridiculous 0.70 ERA in 96 appearances (which are also the most by any pitcher in the playoffs). Rivera, who struck out 110 batters over 141 postseason innings, was World Series MVP in 1999 and ALCS MVP in 2003.

When it came to Ruth's postseason success, baseball's greatest legend was dominant on two fronts. The seven-time World Series champion (three with the Boston Red Sox in 1915, '16, 18; four with the New York Yankees in 1923, '27, '28, '32). In 41 World Series games, Ruth ranks among the top five all time in runs (37), home runs (15), RBI (33), and walks (33), all while batting .326. And of course, who could forget the legend of his famous "called shot" in the 1932 World Series. But, Ruth also went 3-0 with an 0.87 ERA while starting three games for Boston in 1916 and '18 World Series.

Winning NLCS MVP for Philadelphia as a rookie in 1993, teaming with Randy Johnson to help Arizona win the 2001 World Series (when he was named MVP of the Fall Classic) and the infamous bloody sock triumph of 2004 as a member of the Boston Red Sox —cxc  Schilling's postseason heroics are the stuff of legends. Of course, the right-hander simply thrived during the playoffs, going 11-2 with a 2.23 ERA and 0.97 WHIP in 19 starts. When the lights were the brightest, Schilling, a three-time World Series champion, shined brighter than just about anybody.

The most recent two-time World Series MVP, Seager is also the only to do so with different teams: the Los Angeles Dodgers (2020) and Texas Rangers (2023). In 18 World Series games, Seager has six home runs — half of which came with the Rangers in 2023 — 15 RBI and batted .294. In his 77-game postseason career, Seager has clubbed 19 homers, drove in 48 runs and recorded 17 doubles while also scoring 55 runs. 

Third all-time with 15 postseason victories, Smoltz enjoyed playoff success as both a starter and reliever. In 27 postseason starts with the Atlanta Braves, Smoltz went 15-4 with a 2.55 ERA, two complete games and 177 strikeouts, while also being named MVP of the 1992 NLCS. Coming on in relief during the playoffs was also nothing new for the Hall of Fame right-hander, who went 2-0 and recorded four saves in 14 postseason appearances out of the bullpen.

When Williams' No. 51 jersey was retired by the New York Yankees in 2015, it was a well-deserved honor for a performer who is certainly among the elite postseason players in MLB history. Williams won four World Series with New York (1996, 1998, '99, 2000), and only aforementioned Yankees teammate Derek Jeter ranks ahead of Williams in postseason at-bats (465), hits (128) and doubles (29). Meanwhile, Williams' 80 postseason RBI are the most ever, and he also resides among the top five in playoff games played (121), runs (83) and homers (22). Williams was ALCS MVP in 1996, when he went 9-for-19 with two homers, three doubles and six RBIs in five games against Baltimore.