When people think of important postseason home runs, they tend to think of one of the iconic late-game homers. But sometimes an early-game blast can be just as important.
In 1903, Boston’s Patsy Dougherty slugged the first leadoff home run in postseason history in the form of an inside-the-park home run in Game 2 of the World Series.
Eleven players have hit multiple leadoff home runs in postseason play, but no one has started a postseason game off with a bang more often than Kyle Schwarber, whose leadoff clout in Game 1 of the 2024 NLDS was the fifth of his career. Ohtani, Derek Jeter and Jimmy Rollins, who each hit three leadoff home runs in the playoffs, are tied for second.
Here are some of the most exciting game-opening dingers in postseason history.
Davis Schneider (Blue Jays): 2025 World Series Game 5
Facing two-time Cy Young Award winner Blake Snell, who for the most part had been nearly unhittable in the 2025 postseason, Schneider jumped on the first pitch of the game from Snell and drove it over the wall in left field to give Toronto an instant lead. The ambush continued with the next batter, when Vladimir Guerrero Jr. launched another homer over the wall in left in front of a stunned Dodger Stadium crowd. It marked the first time a World Series game began with back-to-back home runs. The Jays went on to win the game for a 3-2 World Series lead.
Shohei Ohtani (Dodgers): 2025 NLCS Game 4
With the Dodgers up 3-0 in the series, Ohtani started his second game of the postseason on the mound. In the first inning, Ohtani struck out three batters, two of which came on 100-plus mph heaters. Leading off the bottom of the inning for the Dodgers at the plate, Ohtani crushed a 446-foot home run with a 116.5 mph exit velocity into the right-field bleachers at Dodger Stadium. It was yet another reminder that Ohtani is a one-of-one player.
Jorge Soler (Braves): 2021 World Series Game 1
Soler wasted no time making his presence known in the 2021 World Series, as he smashed the third pitch from Astros starter Framber Valdez 382 feet into left field to give the Braves a 1-0 lead in what eventually became a World Series win for the Braves. With the swing, Soler became the first player to homer in the very first plate appearance of a Fall Classic (every other Game 1 leadoff home run had previously come in the bottom of the inning).
George Springer (Astros): 2020 ALCS Game 5
While Carlos Correa got all the buzz for hitting the walk-off home run in Game 5 of the ALCS, Springer put Houston in front with a leadoff home run off John Curtiss. Springer, who is among the all-time leaders in both leadoff and postseason homers, jumped on the first pitch from Curtiss, which meant the Astros became the first team in baseball history to homer on the first and last pitch of a playoff game.
Chris Taylor (Dodgers): 2017 World Series Game 1
Four years before Soler homered in the first at-bat of the World Series, Taylor hammered the first pitch he saw (in the bottom of the inning) for a home run. The first-inning tater was just another postseason accomplishment that season for Taylor, who went 6-for-19 (.316) with two home runs in the NLCS to win co-MVP honors (along with Justin Turner). It was the Dodgers’ first postseason leadoff home run since Davey Lopes’ blast leading off Game 6 of the 1978 World Series.
Dexter Fowler (Cubs): 2016 World Series Game 7
Fowler set the tone for the Cubs in their curse-breaking win with the first (and only!) leadoff home run in World Series Game 7 history. It was just another day at the office for Fowler, who had a .393 on-base percentage in 2016, which was the best among switch-hitters with 500 plate appearances. It also set off another historic trend, as he and Taylor combined to become the first tandem to hit leadoff home runs in back-to-back World Series games.
Alcides Escobar (Royals): 2015 World Series Game 1
Perhaps the most unexpected home run on this list, Escobar hit the first leadoff inside-the-park home run in World Series history since Dougherty’s 112 years prior. The ball only traveled 372 feet, but took a weird bounce off Yoenis Céspedes, which set up Escobar’s wild romp around the bases.
Jimmy Rollins (Phillies): 2008 NLCS Game 5
The second of Rollins’ leadoff home runs during the Phillies’ 2008 World Series run, Rollins put his team ahead with a shot off Chad Billingsley. While Rollins’ 2008 season wasn’t as good as his MVP campaign the previous season, this home run helped the Phillies’ quest for their first World Series title since 1980.
Johnny Damon (Red Sox): 2004 World Series Game 4
Damon’s fourth leadoff home run of 2004 was the most important, as it ended up being the run that helped the Red Sox break the Curse of the Bambino. Damon became one of seven people with two postseason leadoff home runs when he hit a game-opening home run for the Yankees against Cleveland in the ALDS three years later.
Derek Jeter (Yankees): 2000 World Series Game 4
The first of Jeter’s three postseason leadoff home runs, it helped the Yankees pick up a 3-2 win over the Mets and added to the Captain’s growing legacy. He hit .409 with two home runs in the Subway Series to take home MVP honors.
Rickey Henderson (Athletics): 1989 World Series Game 4
While Henderson has hit the most leadoff home runs in MLB history (81), he only tallied one leadoff home run during his postseason career. That said, he made sure to meet the moment, as his homer gave the Athletics a 1-0 lead in the clinching game of their 1989 World Series win.
Lenny Dykstra (Mets): 1986 World Series Game 3
If it wasn’t for Dykstra’s leadoff blast, who knows if the Mets would have won the 1986 title. With the Mets down 2-0 in the series, Dykstra snuck a home run around Pesky’s Pole off Oil Can Boyd to jump-start a four-run first inning by the Mets en route to a Game 3 victory. New York then won three of the next four games to grab the title.
