We recently took a look at Major League Baseball’s longest current streaks without postseason baseball. The analysis laid out that playing in October is easier said than done, since 13 MLB teams haven’t entered the playoffs for at least one year. For example, the Baltimore Orioles, New York Mets and Texas Rangers have missed out for the past four seasons. 

Things get worse for the Pittsburgh PIrates and the Kansas City Royals, who up until 2021 have gone five years without taking part in the postseason. Then come the Detroit Tigers and the Los Angeles Angels, who are partaking in a six-year playoff drought. If that sounds gut-wrenching to experience as a fan, imagine the nine years the Philadelphia Phillies have spent in October from the sidelines and the 19 years for the Seattle Mariners. 

After an unusual 16-team postseason in 2020 due to the still ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, ten teams enter the playoffs with renewed hopes of writing their names in the baseball record books. There are only six teams in MLB that have never won a World Series, and only one that has never played in one -the Mariners- but history has taught us everything can change. After all, the Nationals eventually partook in the Fall Classic in 2019 after a 51-year wait, the Rangers did so in 2010 for the first time in 49 years and the Cubs in 2016 after 70 years. The most exciting time of the year usually provides the most exciting times, and also some of the most impressive records. Up next, a list of what some of baseball’s greatest historical achievements in the postseason, accurate as of 9/28/2021, using data from Baseball Reference. 

 

1. Most postseason home runs 

Per season: Randy Arozarena (Tampa Bay Rays, 2020), 10 HR, 86 PA.  
Per career: Manny Ramirez, 29 HR, 493 PA. 

 

2. Most postseason games played 

Per season: Randy Arozarena, Brandon Lowe, Willy Adames, Joey Wendle (all in 2020 with the Tampa Bay Rays) 20G. Arozarena leads with 86 PA. 
Per career: Derek Jeter, 158 games (1996-2012), 734 PA. 

 

3. Most postseason at bats

Per season: Randy Arozarena (Tampa Bay Rays, 2020), 77AB, 86PA. Rafael Furcal  (St. Louis Cardinals, 2011), 77AB, 85PA
Per career: Derek Jeter, 650 AB, 734 PA. 

 

4. Most postseason runs scored (R)

Per season: Carlos Beltrán (2004, Houston Astros), 21R, 56 PA. 
Per career: Derek Jeter, 111R, 734 PA. 

 

5. Most postseason hits (H)

Per season: Randy Arozarena (Tampa Bay Rays, 2020), 29H, 86 PA.
Per career: Derek Jeter, 200H, 734 PA. 

Randy Arozarena #56 of the Tampa Bay Rays hits a single against the Los Angeles Dodgers during the fifth inning in Game Six of the 2020 MLB World Series (Getty Images).

6. Most postseason singles (1B)

Per season: David Eckstein (Anaheim Angels, 2002) and Marty Barrett (Boston Red Sox, 1986) both tied at 20 1B. Eckstein leads with 75 PA. 
Per career: Derek Jeter, 143 1B, 734 PA. 

 

7. Most postseason doubles

Per season: Mookie Betts (Los Angeles Dodgers, 2020), Albert Pujols (St. Louis Cardinals, 2011), both tied at 8 2B, 82 PA. 
Per career: Derek Jeter, 32 2B, 734 PA. 
 

8. Most postseason triples

Per season: Tommy Leach (Pittsburgh Pirates, 1903), 4 3B, 34 PA. 
Per career: Walter C. Davis, 7 3B, 100 PA. 

 

9. Most postseason Runs Batted In (RBI)

Per season: David Freese (St. Louis Cardinals, 2011), 21 RBIs, 71 PA. 
Per career: Bernie Williams, 80 RBIs, 545 PA. 

 

10. Best postseason batting average

Per season: Lloyd McClendon (Pittsburgh Pirates, 1992), .727 BA, 16 PA. 
Per career: Bill Hoskins, .487, 43 PA. 

Lloyd McClendon #23 of the Pittsburgh Pirates looks on during practice before the game against the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2001 (Getty Images).

11. Best On-Base Plus Slugging (OPS) 

Per season: Lou Gherig (New York Yankees, 1928), 2.433 OPS, 17 PA. 
Per career: Colby Rasmus, 1.610 OPS, 35 PA. 

 

12. Most postseason Bases on Balls (BB)

Per season: Barry Bonds (San Francisco Giants, 2002), 27 BB, 74 PA. 
Per career: Manny Ramirez, Chipper Jones, 72 BB. Ramirez leads with 493 PA, to Jones’ 417. 

 

13. Most postseason stolen bases (SB)

Per season: Kenny Lofton (Cleveland Indians, 1995) and Rickey Henderson (Oakland Athletics, 1989) both tied at 11SB, Lofton leads with 72 PA to Henderson’s 44 PA. 
Per career: Kenny Lofton, 34 SB, 438 PA. 
: Kenny Lofton #7 of the Cleveland Indians looks on after stealing a base in the fifth inning against the Boston Red Sox in the 2007 ALCS (Getty Images).
 

14. Most pitching postseason wins

Per season: Randy Johnson (Arizona Diamondbacks, 2001), Stephen Strasburg (Washington Nationals, 2019), Francisco Rodríguez (Angels, 2002) all with five wins. Johnson leads with 41.1 IP. 
Per career: Andy Pettitte, 19 wins, 276.2 IP. 

 

15. Best postseason Earned Run Average (ERA)

Per season: Waite Hoyt (NYY, 1921), .00 ERA, 27.0 IP, Christy Mathewson (New York Giants, 1903), .00 ERA, 27.0 IP. 
Per career: Mariano Rivera, .70 ERA, 141.0

 

16. Highest postseason pitching win / loss percentage 

Per season: Several players have achieved a 1.000 win percentage, but Curt Schilling (Arizona Diamondbacks, 2001) leads with 48.1 IP, more than any on the list. 
Per career: Lefty Gomez and Hilton Smith both achieved a 1.000 win percentage, but Gomez leads with 50.1 IP to Smith’s 48.1. 

 

17. Most postseason strikeouts (K)

Per season: Curt Schilling (Arizona Diamondbacks, 2001), 56K, 48.1 IP. 
Per career: Clayton Kershaw, 207K, 189.0 IP. 
 
Clayton Kershaw #22 of the Los Angeles Dodgers pitches in the first inning during their game against the Cincinnati Reds in September, 2021 (Getty Images).

18. Most postseason saves (SV) 

Per season: Koji Uehara (Boston Red Sox, 2013), 7 SV, 13.2 IP. 
Per career: Mariano Rivera, 42 SV, 141.0 IP. 

19. Most postseason innings Pitched (IP)

Per season: Madison Bumgarner (San Francisco Giants, 2014), 52.2 IP. 
Per career: Andy Pettitte, 276.2 IP. 

20. Teams to never play a World Series

The only team in MLB history to never take part in a World Series are the Seattle Mariners, who haven’t played in a single postseason game since 2001, when they lost the American League Championship Series (ALCS) to the New York Yankees, 4-1. 

Fans of the New York Yankees stand and applaud in front of a sign referencing the Seattle Mariners regular season 116 victories during game five of the American League Championship Series on October 22, 2001 (Getty Images).

21. Wild-card winners 

Usually seen as the weaker sides, there are six teams that have entered the postseason through the wild-card series and have won the Commissioner’s Trophy: 

  • Florida Marlins: 1997 (92-70), 2003 (91-71).
  • Anaheim Angels: 2002 (99-63).
  • Boston Red Sox: 2004 (98-64).
  • St. Louis Cardinals: 2011 (90-72). 
  • San Francisco Giants: 2014 (88-74). 
  • Washington Nationals: 2019 (93-69). 

22. Heartbreak and glory 

Over 25 teams in MLB history have either relocated or no longer exist. Out of all these organizations, three have experienced both winning and losing the World Series in two different cities: the Brooklyn and Los Angeles Dodgers, the New York and San Francisco Giants, and the Washington Senators / Minnesota Twins. 

23. Perfection exemplified 

There has only been one perfect game in the entire history of MLB postseason baseball, and it couldn’t have come at a better time for the New York Yankees than the 1956 World Series. New York took on the Brooklyn Dodgers in Yankee Stadium, where Don Larsen managed 27 strikeouts in the 2-0 win for the ‘Bronx Bombers’, who later took home the trophy after a seven game series. 

Don Larsen passed away in 2020 but his legacy, which included a perfect game in the 1956 World Series, will never be forgotten by Yankees and baseball fans alike (Twitter: @Yankees).

24. Longest game in MLB postseason history 

Game 3 of the 2018 World Series between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Boston Red Sox took an extraordinary seven hours and 20 minutes to complete. In the bottom of the 18 inning, Max Muncy struck a terrific walk-off homer off Nathan Eovaldi to keep Los Angeles in the fight of the series they would end up losing, 4-1. 

25. Most runs scored by a single team in a postseason game 

The Boston Red Sox and the Cleveland Indians faced off in the 1999 American League Division Series. Boston won the third game with a historic 23-7 thrashing to keep their championship hopes alive. After losing the first two games of the series, Boston rallied back and pummeled Cleveland with an outstanding performance that included two John Valentin home runs and seven RBIs. They would go on to send the Indians home but fall to the Yankees in the ALCS, 4-1.