The 12 playoff teams have been determined -- finally! -- and the postseason begins Tuesday, with October legends to be born and historic moments to be forged. The MLB playoffs are always unpredictable, but this year feels more unpredictable than ever -- with a lot of World Series droughts on the line. Consider:
• The Cleveland Guardians haven't won since 1948, the longest championship drought of any of the original 16 franchises.
• The San Diego Padres and Milwaukee Brewers, both born in 1969, have never won a World Series (the Padres haven't been since 1998, the Brewers since 1982).
• The Baltimore Orioles last won in 1983 (the last time they went), the Detroit Tigers in 1984.
• The New York Mets haven't won a World Series since 1986.
• The New York Yankees haven't been to a World Series since their last title in 2009 (and the Philadelphia Phillies haven't won since 2008).
Could one or two huge performances help end one of these droughts? Here are the 40 players who will decide October.
1. Shohei Ohtani, DH, Los Angeles Dodgers
Postseason career: None
Key 2024 stat: First 50/50 player, first with 400 total bases since 2001, 99 extra-base hits most since 2001
Ohtani heads to his first postseason -- he had played the most games of any active player without appearing in the playoffs -- on the heels of his historic 54-homer/59-stolen-base campaign. After his brilliant individual season, the postseason will put a new kind of spotlight on him as he plays the most important games of his major league career. Ohtani finished with an absolutely dominant September, which makes you wonder: How often will pitchers challenge him? Will he keep stealing bases at the same pace (31-for-31 the final two months)? He doesn't have to do it all by himself, but if anyone can deliver an epic October heater, it's Ohtani.
2. Aaron Judge, CF, New York Yankees
Postseason career: .211/.310/.462, 13 HR, 25 RBIs (44 games)
Key 2024 stat: Tied MLB record with 18 first-inning home runs
For all these players, we're going to list their career postseason numbers. That's a small sample for some of them and doesn't necessarily mean much. Judge, however, has a sizable postseason history and hasn't been as dominant as in the regular season, striking out 33% of the time and hitting .180 with a .612 OPS over his past 28 playoff games. In the big picture, the Yankees' failure to reach the World Series in recent years has mostly been due to offensive struggles in October. Judge is better than ever, however, and is coming off one of the greatest hitting seasons of all time -- with better numbers than Ohtani. For the Yankees to win, he has to hit.
3. Juan Soto, RF, New York Yankees
Postseason career: .261/.349/.495, 7 HR, 21 RBIs (29 games)
Key 2024 stat: Hit .384 in high-leverage situations, best in MLB (minimum 80 PAs)
Judge and Soto were the most productive pair of hitting teammates since Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig, becoming just the third pair to post an OPS+ of 175 or greater in the same season. Kevin Mitchell and Will Clark did it for the Giants in 1989, and Ruth and Gehrig did it six times for the Yankees. Soto bats in front of Judge, and the pair ranked 1-2 in the majors in walks and on-base percentage, 1-3 in OPS, 1-4 in home runs and runs created, 1-6 in RBIs (Judge ranked first in all categories). Pitch around Soto, and you get Judge up with at least one runner on -- and he hit .340/.450/.799 with a runner on first base. Soto had a big postseason as a 20-year-old with the Nationals in 2019 but was just OK with the Padres in 2022. He has been free and relaxed all season, never letting his impending free agency cloud his focus or the pressure of New York affect his performance. But October pressure for a franchise that hasn't been to the World Series since 2009 is another matter.
4. Bryce Harper, 1B, Philadelphia Phillies
Postseason career: .276/.383/.613, 16 HR, 31 RBIs (49 games)
Key 2024 stat: Hit .313 with a 1.003 OPS at home, but .257 with a .790 OPS on the road
Harper has been terrific throughout his postseason career, with a .996 OPS that ranks ninth all time among players with at least 100 postseason plate appearances. In the wild-card era (since 1995), he ranks third behind only Randy Arozarena and Carlos Beltran. He has been a little streaky at times this season, hitting .149 in July (although he missed nine games that month because of a bruised left hand), and he later had a 30-game homerless streak. In the end, though, the numbers were there -- he reached 30 home runs and hit 42 doubles -- and you know he's ready for another #RedOctober.
5. Yordan Alvarez, DH/LF, Houston Astros
Postseason career: .295/.393/.556, 12 HR, 41 RBIs (58 games)
Key 2024 stat: Ranked second to only Judge in OPS over the final four months
Ever since he hit .313 as a rookie in 2019, Alvarez has been compared to David Ortiz not just for the similar physiques, but the similar styles of hitting: power, average and being a reasonably tough hitter to strike out (Alvarez fanned 15% of the time, about seven percentage points less often than Ohtani and nine less often than Judge). Like Ortiz, Alvarez has already had numerous memorable hits in the postseason. When the Astros got off to a slow start the first two months, it's no surprise that he wasn't hitting up to his usual standards. That's why it's a big concern that he missed the final week of the regular season because of a right knee sprain.
6. Zack Wheeler, RHP, Philadelphia Phillies
Postseason career: 4-3, 2.42 ERA, 63⅓ IP, 36 H, 5 HR, 68 SO
Key 2024 stat: Ranked second among starters with .192 average allowed and third with .253 OBP (both career bests)
Starting pitchers don't dominate the postseason -- or at least the postseason discussion -- the way they once did: The only pitchers to win World Series MVP honors in the past 20 years, for example, have been Cole Hamels (2008), Madison Bumgarner (2014) and Stephen Strasburg (2019). Still, the team that wins usually gets a great run from one of its starters. Last year, Nathan Eovaldi went 5-0 and the Texas Rangers won all six of his starts. Of this year's playoff starters, Wheeler seems like the best bet to do something like that. He's 34 years old but pitching the best baseball of his career. He still throws 95 mph and has a six-pitch repertoire. Last year, Wheeler unveiled a new sweeper. This year, he has a new splitter, and batters hit .137 against it, without a home run.
7. Emmanuel Clase, RHP, Cleveland Guardians
Postseason career: 1-0, 0.00 ERA, 6 IP, 1 H, 0 HR, 6 SO
Key 2024 stat: .392 OPS allowed and 0.61 ERA both third lowest ever (minimum 50 IP)
Clase is like a supercharged version of Mariano Rivera. Like Rivera, he relies on a cutter (throwing it nearly 80% of the time) -- except Clase's averages 99.5 mph. Like Rivera, he's almost impossible to elevate (just two home runs allowed). Like Rivera, he hardly ever walks anybody (nine unintentional walks all season). Clase allowed six runs in 2024 that weren't extra-inning automatic runners -- and just one in the second half. Rivera's superpower in the postseason was his ability to go two innings: 33 of his 96 postseason appearances were two innings or longer, and 31 of his 42 saves were more than three outs. Clase pitched more than one inning just once all season. With their paper-thin rotation, the Guardians will need to rely on their dominant bullpen -- so, getting some two-inning saves from Clase might be in order.
8. Mookie Betts, RF, Los Angeles Dodgers
Postseason career: .251/.333/.377, 4 HR, 18 RBIs (58 games)
Key 2024 stat: Slugged .406 against four-seam fastballs (.571 in career entering 2024)
Betts had an interesting regular season. He started out at shortstop and was the best player in baseball in April. But he then fractured his hand June 16 and when he returned after two months, the Dodgers moved him back to right field, while also moving him to second in the order after Ohtani. Here's the weird part: When Betts hit in front of Ohtani, he walked 14.2% of the time; hitting second, he walked just 7.6% of the time, which intuitively doesn't make a lot of sense. (Perhaps he has been taking too many strikes to allow Ohtani to steal bases.)
That slugging percentage against fastballs mentioned above is way below his career norms. And the new bat tracking metrics also show Betts ranking in just the 13th percentile of bat speed. He's such a smart hitter that it hasn't really mattered, but it appears he hasn't been catching up to fastballs quite as easily. Then factor in that he hasn't been a great hitter in the playoffs -- he has a .125 average with two RBIs in the past three postseason series the Dodgers have played (all losses). You have to think opponents will be very careful with Ohtani and challenge Betts to beat them.
9. Gerrit Cole, RHP, New York Yankees
Postseason career: 10-6, 2.93 ERA, 104⅓ IP, 73 H, 18 HR, 134 SO
Key 2024 stat: 25.4% strikeout rate was his lowest since 2017
Cole didn't make his first start this season until June 19 because of elbow inflammation, and his stuff is now slightly diminished from his prime (his strikeout rate peaked at 39.9% with the Astros in 2019). He had that strange outing a couple weeks ago against the Red Sox when he intentionally walked Rafael Devers with nobody on base, but otherwise he has been very solid the past two months, topping out with a nine-inning start against Oakland following that Boston game and then outdueling Corbin Burnes in his final regular-season outing. Cole has allowed at least one home run in each of his seven postseason starts with the Yankees, but it's hard to imagine them reaching the World Series without him stepping up.
10. Manny Machado, 3B, San Diego Padres
Postseason career: .221/.273/.442, 10 HR, 23 RBIs (41 games)
Key 2024 stat: Led majors hitting into 25 double plays
Through June 19, Machado was hitting .248 with a .662 OPS and a 26-game homerless streak mixed in there. He had offseason elbow surgery, which helps explain that sluggish (slug-less?) start to his season. After that, he hit .297/.343/.563 with 23 home runs and 72 RBIs in 82 games and looked pretty much like the same old Machado: elite bat speed, above-average contact rates, below-average plate discipline (although not horrendous). Machado has appeared in postseasons for the Orioles, Dodgers and Padres but has never had a signature October. This could be the one.
11. Jose Ramirez, 3B, Cleveland Guardians
Postseason career: .242/.291/.347, 2 HR, 12 RBIs (32 games)
Key 2024 stat: Ranked in 98th percentile in strikeout rate
Ramirez is a switch-hitter, but it's the same approach from both sides: dead pull hitter (only one of his 39 home runs to the opposite field), elite contact rate, high launch angle that makes up for a lack of pure power. The postseason numbers aren't great, but nearly half of those games (15) came in 2016, before his power had fully developed. The Guardians don't have a lot of power outside of Ramirez and Josh Naylor (they both topped 30 home runs, but nobody else hit more than 14), so they need Ramirez to have his best October yet.
12. Bobby Witt Jr., SS, Kansas City Royals
Postseason career: None
Key 2024 stat: Ranked in 99th percentile in batting run value, 99th percentile in baserunning value and 98th percentile in fielding range
Witt established Royals records for total bases, extra-base hits and runs created (and tied George Brett's 1980 season at 9.4 bWAR for best in Royals history). He led the surprising Royals to their first winning season and playoff appearance since they won the World Series in 2015 -- and just a season after they lost 106 games. Witt had the fastest sprint time in the majors and might win a Gold Glove. After ripping through July and August, he did slow down in September (.278, three home runs), and we'll see if pitchers can exploit his one weakness -- his high rate of chasing out of the zone (although he doesn't whiff much). The Royals' offense kind of disintegrated down the stretch, so Witt will have to get hot again and carry K.C. on a playoff run.
13. Gunnar Henderson, SS, Baltimore Orioles
Postseason career: .500/.538/.750, 1 HR, 2 RBIs (3 games)
Key 2024 stat: Slugged .713 vs. breaking balls (curves, sliders, sweepers), best in majors
For the first half of the season, Henderson was right up there with Judge and Witt in the MVP race. His power numbers declined in the second half, but he still ended up with one of the best all-around seasons in Orioles history (only two Cal Ripken Jr. seasons rank higher in WAR). Henderson is a different hitter than Witt: Better plate discipline, more swing and miss, same great results. As you can see, at just 23 years old, he has a precocious ability to hunt breaking balls, and he improved dramatically against southpaws from his rookie season (.829 OPS, up from .618). Everyone kind of forgot about the Orioles as they faded from their hot start, but don't forget about Henderson.
14. Tarik Skubal, LHP, Detroit Tigers
Postseason career: None
Key 2024 stat: Led all qualified starters with .558 OPS allowed
The Tigers came out of nowhere the final seven weeks to secure a playoff position with Skubal, the sure-bet Cy Young winner after winning the AL pitching Triple Crown (18-4, 2.39 ERA, 228 strikeouts), leading the way. (I'd say sure-bet unanimous winner, but it's possible Clase gets a vote or two.) Relying on an electrifying five-pitch mix featuring a four-seamer that averages 96.8 mph and one of the best changeups in the game, Skubal posted the lowest ERA for a Tigers starter since Mark Fidrych in 1976. It will be fun to watch Skubal showcase his stuff on a national stage -- and the way the Tigers are flying high right now, nobody wants to face them.
15. Max Fried, LHP, Atlanta Braves
Postseason career: 2-4, 4.57 ERA, 65 IP, 74 H, 9 HR, 64 SO
Key 2024 stat: Threw seven different pitches at least 5% of the time, led by his four-seamer at 32.7%.
With Chris Sale's health suddenly in question after he couldn't pitch Monday against the Mets, Fried will have to step up as the head of the Atlanta rotation. His postseason career has been a little all over the place. He has made 11 starts, and three of them were scoreless outings, including the clinching Game 6 of the 2021 World Series, but his starts against the Phillies in 2022 and 2023 didn't go as well, although he wasn't 100% last season. He sets up everything off a 94 mph fastball, but it's the deep arsenal of pitches that makes him so effective. He's one of the toughest pitchers to hit out of the park (just 13 home runs in 174 innings), and he has all that big-game experience.
16. Francisco Lindor, SS, New York Mets
Postseason career: .257/.328/.467, 6 HR, 13 RBIs (28 games)
Key 2024 stat: From June 1 to Sept. 13, was third in MLB in fWAR
Indeed, heading into September, Lindor was neck and neck with Ohtani in the NL MVP race, at least based on each player's WAR to that date. After a slow start -- he was hitting under .200 as late as May 21 -- Lindor hit .295/.368/.550 from June 1 until he injured his back on Sept. 13. He settled for his fifth 30-homer season, and his defensive metrics suggest he could win his first Gold Glove since 2019. After missing a couple of weeks, he returned the final weekend, although he isn't 100 percent. The Mets hit rock-bottom on June 11 but had the best record in the majors after that date (and scored the third-most runs). Lindor led the way -- all the way to his playoff-clinching ninth-inning home run Monday.
17. Framber Valdez, LHP, Houston Astros
Postseason career: 7-5, 4.24 ERA, 80.2 IP, 75 H, 14 HR, 92 SO
Key 2024 stat: Went 10-2 with a 2.19 ERA over final 16 starts
Valdez got off to a slow start because he was having trouble throwing his curveball for strikes, which meant he had to throw his fastball more often, leading to some bad outings. He eventually got his feel for the breaking ball back and started throwing his fastball less often, and he has been pitching maybe the best baseball of his career. Valdez, who is fifth among active pitchers in postseason innings, is also looking for some redemption. After the Astros won all four of his playoff starts in 2022 en route to winning the World Series -- he allowed just six runs in 25 innings -- Valdez lost all three of his starts last year, allowing 13 runs in 12 innings. He looks primed for a repeat of 2022.
18. Jack Flaherty, RHP, Los Angeles Dodgers
Postseason career: 1-3, 3.60 ERA, 25 IP, 25 H, 2 HR, 31 SO
Key 2024 stat: Had 27.5% strikeouts-minus-walks rate with Detroit, 18.0% with L.A.
Flaherty joined the Dodgers at the trade deadline from Detroit, where he had a 2.95 ERA, but he hasn't been quite as effective in L.A. (3.58 ERA) -- yet he's expected to lead a Dodgers rotation that will be without Tyler Glasnow, Gavin Stone and Clayton Kershaw (there's a slim chance Kershaw could return later in the playoffs). After struggling with injuries and results for a few seasons, Flaherty rediscovered his slider this year -- batters hit .222 against it, compared to .333 in 2023 -- although his knuckle-curve is his best out pitch. If you were ranking the No. 1 starters on the playoff teams, Flaherty wouldn't be near the top of the list, but he's the best the Dodgers have right now, with Yoshinobu Yamamoto still ramping up from his injury (Yamamoto did go five innings in his final start.)
19. Willy Adames, SS, Milwaukee Brewers
Postseason career: .220/.339/.350, 2 HR, 7 RBIs (32 games)
Key 2024 stat: Tied Ken Griffey Jr.'s MLB record with 13 three-run home runs
Thanks to all those three-run home runs, Adames had 112 RBIs (the most in Milwaukee since Ryan Braun had 112 in 2012) batting in the middle of a lineup that relies more on speed and timely hitting than mashing the ball over the fence (the Brewers were second in the majors in OPS with runners in scoring position but 16th in home runs). Adames is an extreme fly ball/strikeout hitter with a lot of swing-and-miss in his game. He hasn't done much in his postseason career, but most of that came in 2020 when he was a young player with the Rays and suffered through a terrible October (.136, no home runs in 20 games). He will take a walk, swipe an occasional bag and play solid shortstop, but he's a streaky hitter. The Brewers will need him to knock a few balls over the fence -- preferably with runners on base.
20. Marcell Ozuna, DH, Atlanta Braves
Postseason career: .248/.287/.450, 5 HR, 16 RBIs (28 games)
Key 2024 stat: Hit .336 and slugged .587 against fastballs
While the rest of the Atlanta offense battled injuries, regression or just plain bad performance, Ozuna was the one constant, as he had the best season of his career at age 33 (excluding the shortened 2020 season). Ozuna can still turn on any fastball and loves jumping on that first pitch -- he had the highest slugging percentage in the majors when putting the first pitch into play (1.000). While Ozzie Albies made it back at the end of the season and Michael Harris II got hot the final week, the Braves will be without Ronald Acuna Jr. and Austin Riley, so Ozuna is the main man.
21. Corbin Burnes, RHP, Baltimore Orioles
Postseason career: 1-1, 2.84 ERA, 19 IP, 11 H, 3 HR, 22 SO
Key 2024 stat: Posted 1.20 ERA over final five starts
Other than a little blip in August when he kind of lost the feel for his cutter for a few starts, Burnes has been exactly what the Orioles expected when they acquired him from the Brewers last offseason, finishing with 15 wins and a 2.92 ERA. He doesn't rack up as many strikeouts as he did during his 2020 to 2022 peak, but he still generates a lot of weak contact (95th percentile) and ground balls (81st percentile). Given the Baltimore rotation is a little shaky beyond Burnes and Zach Eflin, the Orioles' postseason hopes rest heavily on Burnes pitching like he did down the stretch.
22. Kyle Schwarber, DH, Philadelphia Phillies
Postseason career: .245/.375/.557, 20 HR, 33 RBIs (65 games)
Key 2024 stat: Ranked in 98th percentile or higher in hard-hit rate, bat speed and walk rate
If Harper is the straw that stirs the drink in Philly, Schwarber might be more like the heart and soul. Or maybe Harper is the heart and soul and Schwarber the straw. The burly fan favorite is an unconventional leadoff batter, for sure, but he's also the only player to score 100 runs each of the past three seasons and, thanks to a higher batting average this season, easily posted his best OBP (.366) in his three years with the Phillies. Like Harper, he has been terrific in the postseason with 11 home runs over the past two playoff runs. He's trying to hit a ball into the atmosphere with every ferocious swing.
23. Jose Altuve, 2B, Houston Astros
Postseason career: .273/.340/.510, 27 HR, 55 RBIs (103 games)
Key 2024 stat: Hit .370 with a .968 OPS vs. LHP, .270 with a .731 OPS vs. RHP
If you looked at Altuve's advanced metrics, you might think this is a guy who should be in Triple-A. His bat speed is slow (16th percentile), his hard-hit rate is low (11th percentile), and his chase rate is terrible (seventh percentile). Yet there he was, putting up another good offensive season, hitting .295 with 20 home runs. He's not quite the force he was the past two seasons, and he did a lot of his damage against left-handers, but if you make a mistake, he can still yank it out of the park. And don't ever underestimate Altuve in the postseason: Those 27 home runs are second all time to Manny Ramirez's 29.
24. Freddie Freeman, 1B, Los Angeles Dodgers
Postseason career: .285/.394/.520, 10 HR, 23 RBIs (49 games)
Key 2024 stat: Ranked first in majors in "launch angle sweet spot" percentage
Freeman doesn't have the fastest bat around (just 19th percentile in bat speed) or the most power (61st percentile in hard-hit rate), but what he does is hit line drives all over the field. He turned 35 in September and had another outstanding season, although he did post his lowest batting average and slugging percentage since 2015. Most of that was due to worse numbers against left-handed pitchers, which could be nothing or could be the first sign he's starting to age just a little bit. Bottom line: This is still a guy you want up there with the game on the line.
25. Carlos Estevez, RHP, Philadelphia Phillies
Postseason career: 0-0, 27.00 ERA, ⅓ IP, 1 H, 0 HR, 1 SO
Key 2024 stat: 6-for-8 in save opportunities since joining Phillies
The Phillies lost Games 6 and 7 of last year's NLCS at home, but it was two earlier games that weighed heavily on Dave Dombrowski's decision to acquire Estevez at the trade deadline from the Angels, when then-closer Craig Kimbrel lost both Games 3 and 4 of that series. The Phillies already had a strong back end of the bullpen -- Jeff Hoffman and Matt Strahm were All-Stars this year -- but they also had a closer by committee with Hoffman and Jose Alvarado sharing duties. So, enter Estevez. He was having a career season with the Angels but hasn't been as dominant since joining the Phillies. In my book, he's the fourth-best Phillies reliever behind Hoffman, Strahm and Orion Kerkering. That group should be able to get leads to Estevez. We'll see if he can hold them.
26. Jackson Chourio, LF, Milwaukee Brewers
Postseason career: None
Key 2024 stat: Hit .303/.358/.525 since June 1
Last December, the Brewers signed Chourio to an eight-year, $82 million contract, the largest given to a player with no major league experience. The 20-year-old had played only six games above Double-A, but the Brewers started him in the majors and stuck with him as he struggled the first two months. The switch flipped in June, and Chourio was one of the better hitters in baseball the rest of the way, relying on excellent contact ability (strikeout rate under 20%) and consistent hard contact. He's a plus defender in left and possesses elite speed (98th percentile in sprint speed). He's already a star, a future superstar and could do this postseason what a 20-year-old Soto did for the Nats in 2019 or what a 20-year-old Miguel Cabrera did for the Marlins in 2003.
27. Dylan Cease, RHP, San Diego Padres
Postseason career: 0-0, 10.13 ERA, 2⅔ IP, 2 H, 0 HR, 2 SO
Key 2024 stat: Batters hit .159 with a 45% whiff rate against his slider
A.J. Preller's move to acquire Cease from the White Sox in the middle of spring training proved to be one of the key pickups of the season as Cease won 14 games, didn't miss a start, threw a no-hitter and gave the Padres much-needed stability in their rotation. His slider is one of the most dominant pitches in the game, and he averaged 97 mph with his fastball, but his control can waver at times, leading to inefficient and short outings. Interestingly, his strikeout-to-walk ratio was worse in the second half, but his home run rate dropped and his ERA improved from 3.99 to 2.66. If he's locked in, like he was when he allowed two hits over a three-start span, Cease has the stuff to deliver a huge October.
28. Sean Manaea, LHP, New York Mets
Postseason career: 0-3, 15.26 ERA, 7⅔ IP, 13 H, 6 HR, 9 SO
Key 2024 stat: The Mets won eight of his final nine starts -- and 15 of his final 18
Signed to a two-year contract, Manaea has a player option he'll likely opt out of considering the run he went on in the second half. After watching Sale pitch against the Mets on July 25, Manaea was apparently motivated to lower his arm slot -- he dropped it 10 degrees, from 25 to 15, not quite Sale's 12 degrees, but certainly creating a similar delivery from a similarly built left-hander (Sale is listed at 6-foot-6, Manaea at 6-5). Since then, batters have hit .170 against Manaea, and in the absence of Kodai Senga, Manaea has stepped up as the Mets' ace. The postseason history is limited but scary: three appearances, three losses. But this is a different, confident Manaea pitching the best ball of his career.
29. Tanner Bibee, RHP, Cleveland Guardians
Postseason career: None
Key 2024 stat: Held right-handed batters to a .190 average and a .579 OPS
Yes, the Guardians will rely on their bullpen, but they're going to need some quality starting pitching along the way, and Bibee has been their top guy. The second-year righty throws 95, but a wipeout slider is his best pitch and makes him dangerous on right-handed batters. Can the Guardians make the whole bullpen thing work? Sure. Relievers have thrown 49% of postseason innings over the past three years. The Braves won the World Series in 2021 with two bullpen games in the World Series, and the Diamondbacks reached the World Series last year without a fourth starter. The Guardians have the best bullpen in the majors, and it helps that they won't have to play the wild-card series. Bibee plus a great pen could be enough.
30. Trea Turner, SS, Philadelphia Phillies
Postseason career: .261/.306/.397, 6 HR, 13 RBIs (56 games)
Key 2024 stat: Hit .246 with a .286 OBP in the second half
As good as Harper and Schwarber have been the past two postseasons, the Phillies have lacked a consistent third cog, so their offense has shut down at critical times. Is Turner that guy? Few hitters in the game can run as hot and cold as Turner. We saw that last postseason, when he hit .500 through his first eight games but then went 2-for-19 over the final five -- four of those Phillies losses. He didn't run much after missing two months earlier in the season because of a hamstring injury, and he hardly walks anymore. My gut says he's one of the key guys of this entire postseason, batting between Schwarber and Harper.
31. Luke Weaver, RHP, New York Yankees
Postseason career: None
Key 2024 stat: Has four career saves -- all this September
Weaver is certainly the most unexpected name on this list -- or, at least, he would have been a month ago. After all, this is a pitcher the Royals waived in 2022 and the Reds and Mariners let go in 2023. But a month ago was when Clay Holmes lost his gig as the Yankees' closer, and it appears manager Aaron Boone has settled on Weaver as the ninth-inning guy. A starter for most of his career, Weaver changed the grip slightly on his four-seam fastball, an idea he credits to teammate Gerrit Cole. Weaver also ditched a curveball and slider while throwing his cutter and changeup more often, settling on a three-pitch repertoire. He has gone two innings 13 times this season, so Boone shouldn't be reluctant to use him before the ninth -- just like the Yankees used to do with a certain former closer.
32. Josh Hader, LHP, Houston Astros
Postseason career: 0-2, 1.37 ERA, 19⅔ IP, 10 H, 1 HR, 33 SO
Key 2024 stat: Allowed 12 home runs, tied for fourth most among relievers
It has been a mixed bag for Hader after signing with Houston as a free agent. He's 34-for-38 in save chances and had the third-highest strikeout rate among pitchers with at least 50 innings, but he also had eight losses and has served up too many home runs. Indeed, the Houston bullpen isn't the deep, dominant force it was in 2022. Bryan Abreu has also been hit or miss, and Ryan Pressly is more hittable these days -- and it's very thin after that group, especially with Tayler Scott on the IL because of a back issue. The Astros will have the luxury of using one of their starters in relief, but Houston's playoff hopes might come down to whether Hader keeps the ball in the park.
33. Michael Kopech, RHP, Los Angeles Dodgers
Postseason career: 1-0. 18.00 ERA, 3 IP, 7 H, 1 HR, 5 SO
Key 2024 stat: 6-for-6 in saves since joining the Dodgers
Kopech has been outstanding since coming over from the White Sox, firing his triple-digit heater and avoiding the home run issues that plagued him with Chicago (eight home runs in 43⅔ innings, but just one in 24 innings with the Dodgers). Given the state of the Dodgers' rotation, Dave Roberts will have to rely heavily on his bullpen -- and it has been very good. Of course, Roberts' bullpen decisions in the playoffs throughout the years have been ... umm, let's say they've backfired more than once. The pressure to chew up a lot of innings will be on not just Kopech, but Evan Phillips, Alex Vesia, Blake Treinen & Co.
34. Kyle Tucker, RF, Houston Astros
Postseason career: .237/.315/.389, 8 HR, 28 RBIs (62 games)
Key 2024 stat: His .993 OPS would rank third in the majors
Tucker didn't have enough plate appearances to qualify for the leaderboards after he missed three months because of a bone bruise, but this is a little reminder that he's a huge threat in the middle of that Houston lineup. Tucker has raked since he returned in early September. He's also another Astros player looking for a little playoff redemption after going 4-for-26 without an RBI in last year's ALCS loss to the Rangers.
35. Austin Wells, C, New York Yankees
Postseason career: None
Key 2024 stat: Hit .111 with one home run in September
Wells has been the Yankees' primary cleanup hitter -- meaning, the guy who follows Soto and Judge -- since mid-August, and Boone has stuck with him in that slot even though he struggled in the final month. Given the usual responsibilities a catcher has in handling the pitching staff, that's a lot to ask of a rookie backstop, aside from the fact that Wells might be wearing down. You have to wonder if Boone will move Giancarlo Stanton or Jazz Chisholm Jr. into the cleanup spot, given Wells went 8-for-72 in the final month.
36. Fernando Tatis Jr., RF, San Diego Padres
Postseason career: .318/.444/.682, 2 HR, 5 RBIs (6 games)
Key 2024 stat: Ranked in 99th percentile in hard-hit rate
The Padres have built a deep, World Series-worthy bullpen. The rotation closed the season with an incredible run of great starts. The offense? Excellent over the final three months. And now the Padres have Tatis back after he missed two months because of a stress reaction in his right femur. The last time the Padres were in the postseason in 2022, Tatis didn't play because of suspension and injury. He has almost been the forgotten man in San Diego this season, but he had a very good offensive season when he was out there, hits the ball hard when he makes contact and seems like a guy who could step up in the October spotlight.
37. Cole Ragans, LHP, Kansas City Royals
Postseason career: None
Key 2024 stat: Batters hit .183 against his changeup
In a trade that will go down in Royals history, last year they acquired Ragans from the Rangers for Aroldis Chapman. The Rangers don't necessarily regret the deal -- they might not have won the World Series without Chapman -- but what a steal for the Royals. Seth Lugo will likely finish second or third in the Cy Young voting, but Ragans is the pitcher with the higher strikeout rate, the explosive fastball at the top of the zone and a deadly changeup that helped him hold right-handed batters to a .195 average. He's the kind of pitcher who can shut down an opponent in October. Ragans will start Game 1 of the wild-card series.
38. Jackson Merrill, CF, San Diego Padres
Postseason career: None
Key 2024 stat: Hit seven home runs in "late and close" situations
Merrill jumped from Double-A to the majors, learned a new position as he transitioned from shortstop (and played great in center field, ranking in the 96th percentile in outs above average) and, most of all, delivered clutch hit after clutch hit, including two walk-off home runs and five tying or go-ahead home runs altogether in the ninth inning or later -- the most ever for a 21-year-old. "He's that guy," teammate Jurickson Profar said after one of those walk-offs. "He has it." Now we'll see if he has it in October.
39. Adley Rutschman, C, Baltimore Orioles
Postseason career: .083/.154/.167, 0 HR, 0 RBIs (3 games)
Key 2024 stat: Had .830 OPS through June 27; .559 OPS since
Rutschman was hit in his right hand by a foul tip on June 27. He missed one game and was back in the lineup two days later, but that date certainly sets a clear demarcation between his good numbers and his second-half slide (.189/.279/.280 after that injury). The Orioles have Anthony Santander and his 44 home runs to help back up Henderson, but they were at their best in the first three months because Rutschman was having a terrific season. Manager Brandon Hyde has moved him down in the order, from second to fifth (usually), but the Orioles need Rutschman to deliver some production.
40. Riley Greene, LF, Detroit Tigers
Postseason career: None
Key 2024 stat: Hit .300 and slugged .559 against fastballs
Pitching carried the way during the Tigers' improbable surge, but they'll need to score some runs. Greene and Kerry Carpenter are their two best hitters -- and both raked against right-handed pitchers. Detroit has a young lineup with the likes of Carpenter (27), Spencer Torkelson (25), Greene (24), Parker Meadows (24) and Colt Keith (23), all of them with less than three seasons in the majors. It's also a group riding a lot of momentum. Not all October heroes are All-Stars or MVP candidates.