When thinking of the greatest offensive postseasons in Major League Baseball history, some very particular names come to mind. These include such stories as David Freese’s clutch heroics with the 2011 St. Louis Cardinals or David Ortiz’s 22-hit performance that spurred the 2004 Boston Red Sox to their first title since 1918. Mental images of Randy Arozarena’s 10-homer postseason in 2020 with the Tampa Bay Rays or Jorge Soler’s moonshots for the 2021 Atlanta Braves pepper the imagination. However, we must stop and remember those performances that, for one reason or another, are lost to time.
Herein, we will discuss the greatest forgotten offensive postseasons ever. We’re not dealing with career numbers here, just the bare minimum of one playoff run. Things like WAR and WPA will be disavowed for the duration of this list. In their stead will be the nitty-gritty of baseball statistics…ones that modern-day analytics tend to ignore in quests for perfection. Batting average, homers, hits, RBI, runs scored, the basics of on-field performance will be considered. So, without further ado, let’s jump in and see who should have their forgotten performances remembered.
MLB’s Greatest Forgotten Offensive Postseasons
Lloyd McClendon – 1992
Long before he managed the Pittsburgh Pirates, Lloyd McClendon played for them in a utility role. He didn’t do very much during the regular season, but he had an acceptable average of .253 in 84 games. Then, the Pirates found themselves in a rematch in the NLCS. In 1991, they’d lost to the Braves and McClendon had gone 0-for-2. In 1992 they still lost, but McClendon was one of their prime offensive weapons. He managed to post the highest single-postseason batting average in MLB history (.727). In 16 plate appearances, he reached base safely 12 times. Not only that, but he picked up eight hits, a homer, four RBI, and four runs scored. Though it would be his final career postseason appearance, he made sure to make it all count.
Max Carey – 1925
Here’s a fun fact: Max Carey is a Hall of Famer and one of the speediest players in baseball history. He ranks ninth on the all-time stolen base list with 738 and led the league in the category a whopping 10 times during his career. Another fun fact is that he only made one postseason appearance, and it definitely makes a mark on this list of the greatest forgotten offensive postseasons.
It was the 1925 World Series in which Carey’s Pirates played the defending World Champion Washington Nationals (now known as the Minnesota Twins). Carey played a key role in spurring the team to a 4-3 series win. He played in all seven games and hit .458 (11-for-24). Every time he got on base, something seemed to happen. He had four doubles and three steals, only striking out three times all series. The cherries on top were his 15 total bases and 1.177 OPS. If the World Series MVP Award had existed, Carey would probably have run away with it.
Mark Grace – 1989
34 years ago today.
Chicago Cubs beat the San Francisco Giants 9-5 in game two of the 1989 NLCS at Wrigley Field.
Cubs scored 6 runs in the first inning. Mark Grace went 3-4 with 4 RBI. pic.twitter.com/eU5R37gsrl
— CubWin (@CubWin) October 5, 2023
Mark Grace was a three-time All-Star who traversed 16 big league seasons between the Chicago Cubs and Arizona Diamondbacks. He also had one of the best postseason efforts of all time in the 1989 NLCS between the Cubs and San Francisco Giants. It was Grace’s second year in the majors and he’d had a very successful regular season. That success translated into the postseason, as Grace hit .647 (11-for-17) with three doubles, a homer, and an astounding eight RBI. He had a slugging percentage of 1.118 and an OPS of 1.799 with 19 total bases. Despite all of this, the Cubs dropped the series four games to one. If the Cubs had gone to the World Series that year, Grace’s performance might be better remembered. However, it finds its way here on our list of the greatest forgotten offensive postseason performances.
A.J. Ellis – 2014
A.J. Ellis hit .191 during the regular season in 2014. That’s notable because he went to the NLDS and tore the cover off the ball. The Los Angeles Dodgers catcher hit .538 (7-for-13) with a homer, a double, and a couple of RBI. Where he contributed the most was in his ability to simply get on base. He did so at a .647 clip, walking four times, and garnering 11 total bases. Again, this was from someone who hit well below the Mendoza line throughout the campaign. On a list of the greatest forgotten offensive postseason performances, this one just about tops them all. Unfortunately, as with Grace, it came in a losing effort. The Dodgers fell to the Cardinals three games to one.
Hank Gowdy – 1914
Our final stop on this tour of the greatest forgotten offensive postseason performances is Boston, Massachusetts. Ironically enough, this is not about the Red Sox. Rather, it’s about the old Boston Braves and their 24-year-old catcher/first baseman, Hank Gowdy. In 1914, Gowdy had not done a lot with the bat. He slashed .243/.337/.347 with an OPS of .684. However, in the World Series, Gowdy’s bat came to life. He hit .545 with six hits, three doubles, a triple, and a homer. Not only that, but he also walked five times and picked up 14 total bases. His OPS was a staggering 1.960. Only Lou Gehrig and Babe Ruth have posted higher OPS numbers in one single postseason. Gowdy’s tremendous efforts helped spur the Braves to their first World Series title in franchise history, and their only one in Boston.
Photo Credit: Jesse Johnson-USA TODAY Sports
