Anything can happen in a World Series Game 7. And anyone can be the hero.
Just think back to the last one we got, back in 2019, when the Nationals rallied past the Astros in Houston. Who made the biggest play of that game? It was Howie Kendrick, a 36-year-old role player, whose two-run homer in the seventh inning turned a one-run deficit into a lead that Washington would hold on to for good.
On the other hand, the player who makes his everlasting mark on this Fall Classic could be someone without wide-ranging name recognition, eye-popping stats or nine-figure career earnings. But who? We gathered together a group of MLB.com writers and researchers to take some educated guesses.
Here are three potential under-the-radar Game 7 heroes for each team.
Kiké Hernández, OF
There really are two Kiké Hernándezes. There is the regular-season player who owns a .236 career average, a .708 OPS and only one season with a better-than-league-average OPS+ since 2018.
Then there is “October Kiké,” who is hitting .273 with an .833 OPS during his postseason career and seemingly comes up clutch time and time again. That’s the guy who was in left field to start a game-ending double play in World Series Game 6 against the Blue Jays on Friday. Hernández even admitted after the game that he initially lost Andrés Giménez‘s fly ball in the Rogers Centre lights. But no worries — you knew that ball was ultimately going to find the glove of playoff Kiké.
Still, even with all of his postseason moments, Hernández is not in the same conversation as Ohtani, Betts, Freddie Freeman, etc. He is not a star (at least, outside of Los Angeles). He is not a household name. He just has a tendency to rise to the occasion when everything is on the line. That’s exactly what’s at stake in Game 7: everything.
Sounds like the perfect stage for October Kiké.
Emmet Sheehan, RHP
Sheehan hasn’t been particularly effective so far in the postseason, allowing 11 hits and seven runs in five appearances for a 9.95 ERA. But his success in his most recent outing — 2 2/3 scoreless frames with two strikeouts in the Dodgers’ 18-inning win in World Series Game 3 — could be a turning point, and what a welcome development that would be for Los Angeles.
The Dodgers’ bullpen repeatedly bent but didn’t break in Game 6, with Justin Wrobleski, Roki Sasaki and Glasnow credited with an inning apiece to send the Fall Classic to Game 7. Those innings were not created equal — Wrobleski threw 16 pitches, Sasaki threw 33, and Glasnow needed just three — but the Dodgers could use another high-leverage arm for the winner-take-all game in Toronto. That’s especially true if Ohtani, who will be pitching on short rest after starting Game 4, can’t get deep into the ballgame.
Sheehan, who was excellent primarily as a starter during the regular season, could be tasked with giving the Dodgers some much-needed length or clearing an inning late in the ballgame with a lead. If L.A. turns to him in either scenario, he has a chance to right the ship after a tough postseason so far — and potentially to become a franchise legend.
Miguel Rojas, 2B
Manager Dave Roberts had been searching for solutions at the bottom of his lineup, given the extended struggles of Andy Pages. After trying Alex Call in the starting lineup for Game 5, Roberts switched it up again in Game 6, installing Rojas — whom he called a “glue guy” for the Dodgers — at second and moving Tommy Edman to center field. After a season-saving victory, Roberts said he would stick with that plan for Game 7, and why not? Yes, Rojas went 0-for-3, but he provided a steady hand on defense, making some slick plays, most notably to pick Hernández’s throw to second on that wild, game-ending double play.
So perhaps it will be Rojas’ reliable glove that will again come up big in a winner-take-all contest. Or maybe his contact-oriented approach will allow him to drop in a key hit in a big spot. Either way, it would be a great story if the 36-year-old, a 12-year vet and beloved teammate, came up with a signature moment in Game 7.
Davis Schneider, 2B/OF
It didn’t take Schneider long to endear himself to Blue Jays fans. Through his first 25 Major League games in 2023, the bespectacled, mustachioed second baseman and outfielder batted .370 with a 1.315 OPS — the best OPS on record in a player’s first 25 games. So wouldn’t it be only fitting if it were Schneider who played hero in front of the home crowd in Game 7?
Despite starting just five of Toronto’s 17 postseason games so far, Schneider plays a crucial role as a key right-handed bat off the bench for the Blue Jays. A slightly better hitter against right-handed pitching (.743 OPS) than against lefties (.725) in his career, he can be effectively deployed at pretty much any time. If Schneider gets a chance in Game 7, he has every opportunity to swing his way into the history books.
Isiah Kiner-Falefa, INF
With Bo Bichette playing at less than 100 percent due to a compromised left knee, there’s a decent chance we see Kiner-Falefa in Game 7. And while he hasn’t hit well in this World Series so far, IKF did hit .333 with a pair of doubles in the seven-game ALCS victory over the Mariners. And he has some significant playoff experience, having played in 20 playoff games between the Yankees in 2022 and the Blue Jays this postseason.
Sans the power, Kiner-Falefa has demonstrated some of what has made the 2025 Blue Jays so successful at the plate — he makes frequent contact (15.1% whiff rate during the regular season) and doesn’t strike out often (16.8% K rate in the regular season). If there’s one thing Toronto has shown during these playoffs, it’s that putting the ball in play and putting pressure on the opposing defense can pay dividends.
If it comes down to a big moment late in the game when putting the ball in play could be huge, Kiner-Falefa could find himself in the spotlight with a chance to etch his name into Blue Jays lore.
Chris Bassitt, RHP
The 36-year-old Bassitt didn’t even crack the ALDS roster, as the Jays opted to carry just three starting pitchers. Even in the ALCS, he was the odd man out: Despite starting 31 games in the regular season, Bassitt was confined to the bullpen. He seemed bound for a long relief role.
But over the last few weeks, Bassitt has firmly entered manager John Schneider’s circle of trust. He’s tossed 7 2/3 innings of one-hit ball in six playoff outings, often getting the ball in high-leverage scenarios — like the eighth inning of Game 7 of the ALCS, when he propelled the Jays to the pennant with a scoreless frame. The 11-year veteran has never pitched this deep into October, and he’s made the most of the opportunity.
While Bassitt threw a 1-2-3 inning in Game 6 on Friday night, he has already pitched on back-to-back days this postseason, clearing a hurdle that most starters face when transitioning to the ‘pen. That leaves him primed for a key role in Game 7, especially with Scherzer almost certain to have a short leash. He could be a bridge to another leverage arm, or he could just get those outs himself — he’s already shown that he can do both.
