The all-time leader in postseason hits for every MLB franchise

Playing for the Yankees at the height of New York’s dynasty afforded Derek Jeter a plethora of opportunities to perform on the October stage, and more often than not he delivered. The longtime Yankees captain played nearly a full season’s worth of postseason games during his career — 158, to be exact — and excelled, slashing .308/.374/.465. His 200 career postseason hits are easily the most in MLB history, and he’s one of the biggest reasons the Bombers captured five World Series rings during his tenure. 

David ‘Big Papi’ Ortiz is a legend on the level of Tom Brady in the New England area, and is going to be remembered as the hands-down greatest DH in the history of Major League Baseball. He called Boston home for 14 seasons and was largely responsible for authoring a new, wildly successful chapter of Red Sox baseball. In 76 playoff games with Boston, Ortiz collected 80 hits — with 17 of them leaving the ballpark. Papi led the Red Sox to three World Series titles, collecting countless awards along the way, and will forever be adored by this fanbase. 

Third baseman Brooks Robinson carries a well-earned reputation as the greatest defensive third baseman in the history of the game, but let’s not let his prowess with the glove take away from what he could do with the bat. Robinson participated in six postseasons as a member of the Orioles, and slashed an impressive .303/.331/.793. His 44 playoff hits remain Baltimore’s club record, and he helped lead the O’s to two World Series titles. 

Switch-hitting second baseman Roberto Alomar only spent five seasons in Toronto, but two of them were the Blue Jays’ back-to-back World Series championship runs in the early 1990s. Playing deep into October in each of those years provided Alomar with extensive opportunities to thrive on the biggest stage, and he took full advantage. In 29 total playoff games with Toronto, he hit .373 with two homers, 18 RBI, five doubles, a triple, and 13 stolen bases. His 44 postseason hits in a Jays uniform narrowly edge Devon White for the club record. 

The Rays traded outfielder Randy Arozarena to the Mariners at the deadline this summer, but he sure left his mark in the four and a half years he spent with the club. Arozarena was a fixture for Tampa Bay in each of the last three seasons and was consistently their best all-around player. But it was as a late season rookie in 2020 that he first announced himself to the national audience. Arozarena played in 20 playoff games that October, slashing a ridiculous .377/.442/.831 with 10 homers and 14 RBI, and almost single-handedly led the Rays to the American League pennant. His Tampa tenure did not end the way he would have liked, but it’s fair to say he’ll always be remembered fondly in southwest Florida. 

Cleveland was one of the best teams in baseball during the 1990s, and were it not for the dynasty that was happening in the Bronx, the Indians would have dominated the American League. And while the franchise’s entry on this list did come from that era, I suspect you’ll be surprised to learn that light-hitting shortstop Omar Vizquel is the player that owns the team’s postseason hits record. Despite never hitting a playoff home run, and collecting only 11 extra-base hits in October, Vizquel’s 57 postseason knocks edge out the likes of Jim Thome, Manny Ramirez, and Kenny Lofton for the team’s all-time mark. 

The Twins’ postseason hits record holder is arguably the most popular player in the franchise’s history, outfielder Kirby Puckett. The Triton College alum played all 12 of his major league seasons in the Twin Cities, slashing an impressive .318/.360/.477 with 207 home runs and 1,085 RBI. Puckett only played in two postseasons with the Twins — in ’87 and ’91 — and the moment was predictably not too big for him. He hit .309 in his 24 October contests, and the 30 playoff hits he collected edges Dan Gladden by one for the franchise mark. 

Hall of Fame third baseman George Brett owns essentially every record in Kansas City Royals history, so it should come as no surprise to learn he also has this one. Brett starred for the Royals for two decades, and was the driving force behind the team’s success during this era. In 43 career postseason games, he slashed .337/.397/.627 with 10 homers, 23 RBI, eight doubles, and five triples. He collected 56 total October hits — 18 of which came in 1985, when he led Kansas City to a World Series title. 

Anything with the White Sox and the postseason linked together sounds silly at the moment, but there certainly was a time when Chicago was not comically disappointing. The White Sox have made the playoffs just twice since 2008, but not long before that they were on top of the baseball world. This team won the World Series in 2005 with a four-game sweep of the Astros, and outfielder Jermaine Dye was arguably the biggest reason why. That October, Dye slashed .311/.415/.444 with six RBI and four extra-base hits. He was excellent again in the playoffs three years later, and his 20 postseason knocks remain a Chicago record. 

Miguel Cabrera was simply one of the greatest pure hitters of the modern generation, and for 16 seasons the Tigers were fortunate to have him as the face of their franchise. Detroit qualified for the playoffs only four times during Cabrera’s tenure, but they did win the American League pennant in 2012, and finished two wins shy of doing it again the following season. In 38 total postseason games with Detroit, Cabrera drove in 26 runs and racked up 39 hits — nine of which left the ballpark. 

While he didn’t have as much pure power as some of the hitters on this list, left-handed swinging outfielder Darin Erstad possessed elite bat-to-ball skills, and at his peak there were not many players you would have preferred to have in the box over him with the game on the line. Erstad was a mainstay on some very good Angels teams in the early 2000s, and seemed to consistently take his game to new heights on the biggest stage. In 29 postseason games with Anaheim, he slashed .339/.368/.492 with three homers, 12 RBI, nine doubles, and four steals. He was an integral piece of the Angels’ World Series-winning team in 2002, and his 40 playoff hits remain the most in franchise history. 

Second baseman Jose Altuve has been the heartbeat of the Astros’ recent stretch of dominance, and for the last 14 years has been the unquestioned face of the Houston franchise. Altuve and the Astros have participated in eight of the last nine postseasons, with Houston capturing four American League pennants and two World Series titles in that timeframe. And to his credit, the 34-year-old has always risen to the occasion when the games matter most. In 103 career playoff games, Altuve has slashed .273/.340/.510 with 27 home runs and 55 RBI. His 117 postseason hits are easily the most in Astros history, and he’ll get a chance to build on that number in just a few weeks. 

Stolen base king Rickey Henderson suited up for nine different teams during his long major league career, but he’s clearly most remembered for his accomplishments as an Oakland Athletic. Henderson spent 14 seasons in Oakland, earning a plethora of personal awards, but also enjoying a tremendous amount of team success. He participated in four different postseasons with the A’s, hitting .333 with four home runs, 14 RBI, six doubles, and collecting 22 stolen bases in 29 games. His 37 postseason hits remain the franchise record, a mark that will not be broken anytime soon. 

In 2007, Elvis Andrus was a highly touted prospect in the Atlanta Braves system. Looking for an impact bat that summer, Atlanta shipped Andrus and a horde of other prospects to Texas for Mark Teixeira in a deal that quickly became one of the best trades in Rangers history. In Texas, Andrus became a mainstay at shortstop for a dozen years, making multiple all-star teams and helping lead the Rangers to back-to-back American League pennants in 2010 and 2011. Cumulatively in the postseason, he slashed .266/.316/.318 with six extra-base hits, seven RBI, and nine stolen bases for the club. His 46 postseason knocks remain the most in franchise history. 

For much of the last two decades, the Seattle Mariners were mired in the longest postseason drought in North American sports, so it’s no surprise that their record holder for playoff hits is someone who retired in 2004. Were it not for David Ortiz, Seattle’s Edgar Martinez would probably be remembered as the best DH in baseball history, and he was one of the most naturally gifted hitters of his generation. In 34 playoff games with the Mariners, Martinez slashed .266/.365/.508 with eight homers, 24 RBI, and seven doubles. His 34 October hits edge Jay Buhner, Ken Griffey Jr., and Alex Rodriguez for the club record. 

The Mets’ all-time postseason hits leader is infielder Edgardo Alfonzo, who was a perpetually underrated player on some very good New York teams in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Alfonzo was part of two deep playoff runs with the Mets, going to the NLCS in ’99 and the World Series in ’00. In 24 total playoff games with the Amazins’ he hit .260 with four homers, 17 RBI, and eight doubles. His 26 postseason knocks edge Cleon Jones by three for the club’s record. 

Shortstop Jimmy Rollins and outfielder Shane Victorino were both part of a Phillies core that won five straight National League East division titles from 2007-2011, and all of that success afforded them plenty of opportunities on the October stage. Victorino especially thrived, as while he wasn’t known as a power hitter, his six playoff homers to go along with nine doubles often came as difference-making hits in big moments. Rollins, meanwhile, hit only .250 in 46 playoff games with the Phillies, but he was always a threat out of the leadoff spot, and was one of those guys that always did something to help his team win. 

Speaking of players who were consistently playing in October thanks to their team constantly winning the NL East, let’s talk about Atlanta’s Chipper Jones. The DeLand, FL native played all of his 19 major league seasons with the Braves, and remarkably was able to participate in the postseason in 12 of those campaigns. In 93 total playoff games, he slashed .287/.409/.456 with 13 home runs, 47 RBI, and 18 doubles. His 97 postseason hits are easily the most in Braves history. 

It’s crazy how dramatically the stock of Anthony Rendon has fallen since the veteran third baseman left D.C. to join the Angels as a free agent in 2020. With the Nationals he was one of the best two-way players in baseball, but in southern California he’s perpetually struggled with both injuries and underperformance. Rendon participated in four postseasons with Washington, slashing a collective .282/.370/.479 with five home runs and 21 RBI. He was especially impactful during the team’s magical run to a World Series title in 2019, and his 33 total playoff hits remain the most in franchise history. 

Miami’s all-time leader in postseason hits is none other than ‘Mr. Marlin’ himself, Jeff Conine. The UCLA product spent eight years in Miami, slashing .290/.358/.455 with 120 home runs and 553 RBI. This team has not been a fixture in October by any stretch of the imagination, but in both 1997 and 2003 they were on top of the baseball world — and both times Conine was front and center. In 32 playoff games in a Marlins uniform, he hit .304 with five extra-base hits. Conine is the only player to appear in the Marlins’ inaugural game in 1993 and be a part of both of their World Series-winning teams, and his 31 playoff hits are easily the club’s record. 

The Cardinals were unbelievably fortunate to have Yadier Molina anchored behind the plate in St. Louis for 19 years, and the impact he left on this franchise will be forever-lasting. Molina was a 10-time all-star, nine-time Gold Glove award winner, recipient of a Silver Slugger, and helped bring two World Series championships back to St. Louis. And most relevant to this gallery, he consistently raised his play when the games mattered most. In 104 career postseason contests, Molina slashed .273/.326/.357 while delivering some of the biggest hits in the history of this storied franchise. His 102 October knocks best Albert Pujols by 12 for the team’s all-time mark. 

Kris Bryant has endured a difficult last few seasons in Denver, but let’s not forget that not long ago he was the leading man on a Cubs team that broke a generations-long World Series drought. Bryant was a member of five different Chicago teams that qualified for the playoffs, and hit six home runs in 39 postseason games with the club. He was never better than the 2016 World Series run, when he slashed .308/.400/.523 and drove in eight runs in 17 games. Bryant’s 35 October hits narrowly edge his former teammate, Anthony Rizzo, for the Chicago record. 

Ryan Braun’s career and legacy became much-maligned following his high-profile PED suspension, which admittedly does take away from some of his accomplishments. That said, early in his career the right-handed slugger was an absolute force for the Brewers and someone opposing pitchers simply could not let beat them. Milwaukee qualified for the postseason five times during Braun’s tenure, and he swung the bat well on the game’s biggest stage. In 27 career playoff games, he slashed .330/.368/.491 with two homers, 16 RBI, and 11 doubles, and his 35 October hits are the most in franchise history. 

Powerful left-handed slugger Willie Stargell was the leader and face of the Pittsburgh Pirates for more than 20 years, and it’s no surprise to see him representing the team on this list. The Hall of Famer led Pittsburgh to the postseason in six different campaigns, and always stepped up when the games mattered most. In 36 career playoff contests, Stargell slashed .278/.355/.511 with seven home runs and 20 RBI. He was a key contributor on two Pirates World Series-winning teams, and his 37 playoff hits best Roberto Clemente by three for the club mark. 

Pete Rose is Major League Baseball’s all-time hit king in general, so it would have been downright shocking if he didn’t hold the Reds record for postseason knocks. The Cincinnati native led the Reds to the postseason five times, and to the surprise of nobody, consistently swung the bat well on the biggest stage. In 42 playoff games with Cincinnati, Rose hit .318 with 17 extra-base hits and 16 RBI. The 55 October hits he collected with the Reds is a record that will not be broken anytime soon. 

The Dodgers have been the premier team in the National League for the last decade and haven’t missed the playoffs since 2012. All of that success has given L.A’.s recent core a plethora of opportunities under the October spotlight, and while he’s not with the team anymore, Justin Turner stands out as a guy who routinely took full advantage. Turner played in 86 postseason games with Los Angeles, slashing .270/.370/.460. He connected on 13 October homers, drove in 42 runs, and his 85 playoff hits are the most in club history by a wide margin. 

The San Francisco Giants won three World Series titles in five years from 2010-2014 and arguably the biggest reason why was the standout performance of their all-star catcher, Buster Posey. The Leesburg, GA native spent his entire career in the Bay Area, and after retiring at the end of the 2021 season, his next stop will be Cooperstown. In 58 playoff games with the Giants, Posey slashed .252/.321/.345 with five home runs, 25 RBI, and six doubles. His 57 cumulative postseason knocks edge Pablo Sandoval by four for the Giants’ club record. 

Could the Padres’ all-time postseason hits leader be anyone other than Tony Gwynn? Gwynn starred for San Diego for two decades, winning an absurd eight batting titles and representing the organization in the All-Star Game 15 times. One of the travesties of his career was the fact that he was only able to showcase his talent on the October stage three times, in ’84, ’96 and ’98. In 27 cumulative playoff contests he predictably slashed .306/.339/.398 and drove in 11 runs, and while he was never able to win a World Series ring, he did lead the Padres to the NL pennant in 1998. Gwynn collected 33 postseason hits for San Diego, but this is a record that at least has the potential to fall sooner rather than later. Current Padres infielders Jake Cronenworth and Manny Machado are next on the list with 18 and 17 respectively. With San Diego currently charging towards a Wild Card berth, a long October run could put Gwynn’s mark in jeopardy.  

The Colorado Rockies have only qualified for the playoffs five times in their history, so their postseason hits record is relatively modest compared to most other teams. Outfielder Matt Holliday was the linchpin behind Colorado’s run to the 2007 National League pennant, slashing .289/.319/.622 with five home runs and 10 RBI that October. His teammate on that team, Yorvit Torrealba, also enjoyed a big postseason that year, and even contributed some big hits for the Rockies the following October as well. Holliday and Torrealba share the Colorado club mark with 15 playoff hits — a record that isn’t going to be broken anytime soon, considering the current state of the franchise. 

Second baseman Ketel Marte is the only player on this list still currently playing for the team whose record he holds. The veteran switch-hitter has been a core member of the Diamondbacks since 2017 and while he’s only made the postseason with Arizona twice, he’s consistently come up big on the October stage. During the Diamondbacks’ unlikely run to the National League pennant last fall, Marte slashed .329/.380/.534 and collected 24 hits in only 17 games. Six years earlier he went an impressive 7-17 in four playoff games, and his 31 playoff hits are easily the club record. Arizona is currently in playoff position with less than three weeks to go in the regular season, so this is a mark Marte may get an opportunity to build on next month.