The MLB postseason begins on Tuesday, and this year’s field may be the most wide-open in recent memory.
From players to managers, here are the 10 most important people to keep an eye on in the MLB postseason.
Designated hitter Shohei Ohtani, Los Angeles Dodgers
The seven-year veteran and soon-to-be National League MVP is set to make his postseason debut after a historic first season with the Dodgers, during which he founded the 50/50 club.
Despite his lack of playoff experience, Ohtani has proven he can deliver when the lights are the brightest, as evidenced by the .435/.606/.739 slash line and 1.86 ERA he posted in the 2023 World Baseball Classic.
Although it’s highly unlikely, it’ll be interesting to see whether injuries to the Dodgers rotation force the two-way sensation to return to the mound in October after undergoing elbow surgery late last season.
Outfielder Aaron Judge, New York Yankees
After putting together another MVP season, Judge — who led the majors in a plethora of categories, including home runs (58) — aims to change the narrative surrounding his postseason performance. While the Yankees have reached the American League Championship Series twice with Judge, the six-time All-Star has disappointed throughout his playoff career, slashing just .211/.310/.462 with 13 homers and 66 strikeouts in 44 games.
Even so, if Judge can perform at the level he did in the regular season, New York is well-positioned to return to the Fall Classic for the first time since 2009.
Shortstop Bobby Witt Jr., Kansas City Royals
Another player set to make his postseason debut, Witt was the catalyst behind snapping the Royals’ eight-year playoff drought. The 24-year-old fully broke out this season and gave Judge a run for his money in the AL MVP race, leading the majors in hits (211) and batting average (.332) while ranking second in fWAR (10.4).
Kansas City’s 11-14 record in September doesn’t provide much optimism for its postseason outlook, but Witt is the type of talent capable of swinging a series.
Right-hander Zack Wheeler, Philadelphia Phillies
First baseman Bryce Harper is undoubtedly Philadelphia’s most talented player, but the team will need its ace Wheeler to be in top form if it hopes to make a third consecutive deep playoff run. Wheeler, who headlines arguably the deepest rotation in the playoffs, was brilliant in the 2023 postseason, posting a 1.95 ERA with 35 strikeouts across four starts.
It’s possible Wheeler’s best playoff effort is yet to come, considering he led the NL in WHIP (0.96), quality starts (26), batting average (.192) and OPS (.581) during a Cy Young-caliber regular season.
Shortstop Francisco Lindor, New York Mets
It’s safe to say that Lindor has finally lived up to his $341m price tag, given that the four-time All-Star was instrumental in the Mets’ remarkable turnaround. Since Lindor called a players-only meeting on May 29, New York has posted a 67-41 record, the best in the majors, with the switch hitter batting .308 with 25 home runs and 65 RBI in that span.
It’s worth noting that Lindor is dealing with a back injury, but he’s been stellar since returning to the lineup last week, posting a .353 batting average with two homers and five RBI.
Manager Stephen Vogt, Cleveland Guardians
After losing 86 games in 2023, the Guardians were one of the biggest surprises of the regular season, and their rookie manager Vogt has played a key role in their success. According to MLB.com’s Sarah Langs, Vogt is just the fifth manager to lead his team to a postseason appearance within two seasons following his playing career.
Vogt pressed all the right buttons in the regular season, but how he manages a starting rotation that posted the seventh-worst ERA in the majors (4.40) will dictate the outcome of Cleveland’s postseason.
Left-hander Tarik Skubal, Detroit Tigers
The top pitcher in baseball this season, Skubal secured the first AL pitching Triple Crown since Cleveland’s Shane Bieber achieved the feat in the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, leading the league in wins (18), ERA (2.39) and strikeouts (228). The Tigers finished the regular season on a remarkable 33-11 run to clinch an improbable postseason berth.
While Detroit is on a roll entering October, Skubal needs to be the reason why it upsets the Astros since the Tigers offense still has its shortcomings, ranking 23rd among teams in OPS (.685).
Outfielder Jackson Merrill, San Diego Padres
Had it not been for the dominance of Pirates right-hander Paul Skenes, Merrill would be the runaway favorite for NL Rookie of the Year honors. The shortstop-turned-center fielder emerged as an important contributor for the Padres during his All-Star-worthy rookie season, slashing .292/.326/.500 with 24 home runs, 90 RBI and 16 stolen bases.
Merrill hit six game-tying or go-ahead home runs in the eighth inning or later this season, the most in the majors, and the Padres are hoping his clutch play carries into the postseason.
Right-hander Corbin Burnes, Baltimore Orioles
Baltimore acquired Burnes this past offseason to be the high-end front-line starter it sorely needed, and the former Brewer was as advertised during the regular season, finishing with a 2.92 ERA and 181 strikeouts. However, the Orioles may need even more from Burnes to advance out of the wild-card round, as the team’s rotation has seen four starters suffer season-ending injuries.
Burnes struggled in his lone 2023 postseason outing, allowing four runs in as many innings, though he’s entering the playoffs with serious momentum, having posted a 1.20 ERA with 31 strikeouts in September.
Manager Aaron Boone, New York Yankees
Judge won’t be the only Yankee who has plenty to prove this October. Even though Boone has the 10th-highest winning percentage among managers in MLB history (.599), the Yankees are just 14-17 in the postseason under his tutelage.
Considering this is arguably New York’s best roster since Boone took over, the team might need to make a deep playoff run to ensure that the 51-year-old’s club option for 2025 gets picked up.