The intense lights of postseason baseball present impending free brokers one final probability to point out potential suitors what they will do towards elite competitors.
Phillies starter Aaron Nola is the most recent star free agent who has risen to the event in October, thus getting into free company on a excessive notice. Forward of his begin in NLCS Sport 6, Nola is 3-0 with a 0.96 ERA for Philadelphia, putting out 19 hitters in 18 2/3 innings and strolling simply two.
Listed below are 16 of the perfect postseason performances by gamers who have been set to check the open market.
Aaron Nola, SP (2023 Phillies)
Stats: 3-0, 18 2/3 IP, 0.96 ERA, 19 Ok’s
Nola’s 2023 common season was removed from excellent. A 3-time top-10 NL Cy Younger Award finisher, the right-hander had an ERA between 4.25 and 4.70 from April 28 on, though he was reliable sufficient to pitch 193 2/3 innings for the Phillies. Nola has taken issues to a different stage thus far this postseason, pitching at Residents Financial institution Park in all three of his begins and going at the least 5 2/3 innings in every. The 30-year-old, who made his debut with the Phillies in 2015, is about to hit free company for the primary time.
A 12 months after incomes NL MVP honors, Freeman added to his Braves legacy by serving to the membership win its first World Collection title since 1995. The primary baseman slugged the decisive homer off Brewers nearer Josh Hader within the Braves’ NLDS clincher and added 4 extra homers in Atlanta’s closing 10 playoff video games whereas slashing .371/.477/.771 in that span. A return to the Braves was broadly thought-about a foregone conclusion, however the membership traded for Matt Olson in March, and Freeman quickly after signed a six-year, $162 million contract with the Dodgers.
Gerrit Cole, RHP (2019 Astros)
Stats: 4-1, 36 2/3 IP, 1.72 ERA, 47 Ok’s
Cole’s free-agent inventory was already sky excessive after he posted a 2.68 ERA with 602 Ok’s in 412 2/3 innings for the Astros over 2018-19, however it went to a different stratosphere following his efficiency within the 2019 playoffs. The righty struck out 15 batters in Sport 2 of the ALDS towards the Rays and tossed one other gem in Sport 5 to get rid of Tampa Bay, then fired seven scoreless innings in Sport 3 of the ALCS towards the Yankees. The Nats obtained to Cole for 5 runs in Sport 1 of the World Collection, however the ace got here again to throw seven innings of one-run ball with 9 Ok’s in Sport 5. He ended up becoming a member of the Yankees for $324 million over 9 years, the richest deal ever signed by a pitcher.
Coming into the 2019 playoffs, it appeared unlikely that Strasburg would train the opt-out clause in his contract to grow to be a free agent that offseason, given he had 4 years and $100 million left on his take care of the Nats. However the right-hander put collectively one of many biggest postseason runs we’ve seen by a beginning pitcher, notching 5 of Washington’s 12 wins and posting a 1.98 ERA on the street to a title. Strasburg got here by with the Nationals’ season on the road in Sport 6 of the World Collection towards the Astros, firing 8 1/3 innings in a 7-2 win, and he was named collection MVP after the Nats pulled off the comeback win in Sport 7. Strasburg determined to choose out and check free company earlier than returning to the Nationals for $245 million over seven years.
Daniel Murphy, 2B (2015 Mets)
Stats: .328 BA, 7 HR, 11 RBIs, 1.115 OPS
Murphy wasn’t identified for his energy, however he tapped into it throughout the 2015 postseason, fueling the Mets’ run to the NL pennant. The second baseman set a playoff document with a homer in six straight video games, together with one in every of New York’s wins in a four-game sweep over the Cubs within the NLCS, after which he was named MVP. Murphy jumped to the NL East-rival Nationals within the offseason, signing a three-year, $37.5 million contract.
Pablo Sandoval, 3B (2014 Giants)
Stats: .366 BA, 7 2B, 5 RBIs, .888 OPS
After hitting six homers throughout the 2012 postseason, together with three in Sport 1 of the World Collection towards the Tigers en path to MVP honors, Sandoval continued to burnish his playoff repute in 2014. Though he didn’t go deep in October, Sandoval set a then-postseason document with 26 hits as San Francisco received its third title in 5 years. The third baseman signed a five-year, $90 million take care of the Crimson Sox in November.
Albert Pujols, 1B (2011 Cardinals)
Stats: .353 BA, 5 HR, 16 RBIs, 1.155 OPS
Pujols left the Cardinals after 11 seasons to signal a 10-year, $240 million take care of the Angels, however not earlier than delivering one other championship to St. Louis. The three-time NL MVP was a drive all through October, and he had one of many biggest World Collection performances of all time in Sport 3, recording the third three-homer recreation within the historical past of the Fall Traditional whereas going 5-for-6 with six RBIs towards the Rangers in Arlington.
Cliff Lee, LHP (2010 Rangers)
Stats: 3-2, 35 2/3 IP, 2.78 ERA, 47 Ok’s
Lee cemented himself as one among baseball’s finest big-game pitchers whereas making back-to-back World Collection appearances — with two completely different groups — in 2009 and 2010. The left-hander had an excellent postseason debut with the Phillies (4-0, 1.56 ERA) after becoming a member of the membership on the 2009 Commerce Deadline, however Philadelphia dealt him to the Mariners within the offseason. Lee was traded once more on the 2010 Deadline, this time to the Rangers, and he went on to propel Texas to its first postseason collection victory, successful Video games 1 and 5 on the street towards the Rays within the ALDS. He adopted that up by firing eight scoreless innings with 13 strikeouts at Yankee Stadium to notch a pivotal win in Sport 3 of the ALCS towards the Bronx Bombers. Philadelphia reunited with Lee when he grew to become a free agent, signing him to a five-year, $120 million contract.
Hideki Matsui, DH (2009 Yankees)
Stats: .349 BA, 4 HR, 13 RBIs, 1.136 OPS
Matsui solely began three of the six video games within the 2009 World Collection towards the Phillies, however he made his presence felt nonetheless, going 8-for-13 (.615) with three homers, eight RBIs and a 2.028 OPS. Matsui, who was named World Collection MVP, homered and drove in six runs in New York’s Sport 6 clincher, tying a document beforehand set by the Yankees’ Bobby Richardson in 1960 for RBIs in a World Collection recreation. It turned out to be Matsui’s closing recreation in pinstripes, because the Yanks opted to not pursue a brand new take care of the veteran. He finally signed a one-year, $6.5 million take care of the Angels.
Manny Ramirez, OF (2008 Dodgers)
Stats: .520 BA, 4 HR, 10 RBIs, 1.747 OPS
Though a 50-game PED suspension in 2009 took the shine off of Mannywood, Ramirez’s preliminary run in Los Angeles was a sight to behold. After being dealt from the Crimson Sox to the Dodgers on the 2008 Commerce Deadline, Ramirez hit .396/.489/.743 with 17 homers over 53 video games for L.A. within the common season, then one way or the other obtained even higher within the playoffs, setting a document for the very best common and OPS in a single postseason (min. 25 PAs). It took a while to get achieved, however the Dodgers ended up re-signing Ramirez for $45 million over two years the next March.
Carlos Beltrán, OF (2004 Astros)
Stats: .435 BA, 8 HR, 14 RBIs, 6 SB, 1.557 OPS
With free company looming, Beltrán was traded from the Royals to the Astros in July 2004, and after practically producing a 40/40 marketing campaign, he had an opportunity to showcase his dynamic talent set on the grand stage of the postseason for the primary time in his profession. The middle fielder seized the chance in an enormous method, tying Barry Bonds’ then-playoff document with eight dwelling runs and accumulating 14 RBIs in 12 video games. Beltrán inked a seven-year, $119 million take care of the Mets in January 2005.
Andy Pettitte, LHP (2003 Yankees)
Stats: 3-1, 34 1/3 IP, 2.10 ERA, 34 Ok’s
Pettitte was the nice equalizer within the 2003 playoffs, beginning and successful Sport 2 of the ALDS, ALCS and World Collection after the Yankees dropped the opening recreation in all three collection. New York finally misplaced to the Marlins within the Fall Traditional, however Pettitte did his half with seven robust innings reverse Josh Beckett’s title-clinching shutout in Sport 6. The homegrown left-hander shocked the baseball world when he left the Yankees to signal a three-year, $31.5 million take care of the hometown Astros after the 2003 season.
Kevin Brown, RHP (1998 Padres)
Stats: 2-2, 39 1/3 IP, 2.52 ERA, 46 Ok’s
Traded to the Padres as a part of the Marlins’ fireplace sale after successful the 1997 World Collection, Brown led San Diego to the NL West crown in 1998, posting a 2.38 ERA with 257 strikeouts over 257 innings. He continued his dominance within the playoffs, outdueling future Corridor of Famer Randy Johnson in Sport 1 of the NLDS towards Houston with 16 strikeouts over eight scoreless innings and throwing 6 2/3 innings of one-run ball on three days’ relaxation in Sport 3. San Diego went on to defeat the Braves in six video games within the NLCS, with Brown hurling a complete-game shutout in Sport 2 reverse eventual 1998 NL Cy Younger Award winner Tom Glavine. Brown made historical past when he signed a seven-year, $105 million contract with the Dodgers in November, changing into baseball’s first $100 million man.
John Smoltz, RHP (1996 Braves)
Stats: 4-1, 38 IP, 0.95 ERA, 33 Ok’s
Smoltz had a magical marketing campaign for the defending World Collection champions in 1996, the ultimate season on the four-year contract he signed in 1993. After a regular-season efficiency (24-8, 2.94 ERA, 276 Ok’s) that may earn him NL Cy Younger honors, Smoltz was practically untouchable within the playoffs, changing into the second participant in AL/NL historical past (becoming a member of Burt Hooton in 1981) to submit a sub-1.00 ERA whereas throwing at the least 30 innings in a single postseason. The Braves re-signed the right-hander for $31 million over 4 years within the offseason, retaining their ace trio of Greg Maddux, Glavine and Smoltz collectively.
Fred McGriff, 1B (1995 Braves)
Stats: .333 BA, 4 HR, 9 RBIs, 1.065 OPS
Enjoying out the contract he signed with the Padres in 1991, McGriff got here by within the 1995 playoffs for the Braves, who traded for the primary baseman two years prior. McGriff hit safely in every of his first 9 video games and recorded 10 extra-base hits and 9 RBIs over 14 video games altogether as Atlanta defeated Cleveland within the World Collection. The Braves introduced McGriff again on a four-year, $20 million contract within the offseason.
Rickey Henderson, OF (1989 Athletics)
Stats: .441 BA, 3 HR, 8 RBIs, 11 SB, 1.509 OPS
Almost 5 years after the Athletics traded Henderson to the Yankees, New York despatched him again to Oakland in June 1989, giving the A’s the increase they wanted to win the AL West for the second straight 12 months. Henderson was unstoppable within the ALCS towards the Blue Jays, successful MVP honors after hitting .400 with two homers, seven walks, eight steals and a 1.609 OPS in Oakland’s 4-1 collection victory. The Giants did nothing to gradual him down within the World Collection, as Henderson went 9-for-19 (.474) with 4 extra-base hits (one homer) and three steals within the A’s sweep. The speedster was a free agent for lower than a month earlier than re-signing with the A’s for $12 million over 4 years in November.