Sometimes it’s the biggest stars who shine the brightest in October. But other times? Someone else gets a turn in the spotlight.
David Freese, Marco Scutaro, Steve Pearce, Howie Kendrick, Eddie Rosario, Randy Arozarena (just 42 games into his big league tenure) … the list of under-the-radar players who became top playoff performers is lengthy.
So, who might be next? With the start of the 2025 postseason just around the corner, we asked six writers — three from Yahoo Sports and three from MLB.com — to each pick one candidate to emerge as a main character of the sport over the next month. Here were their picks:
All stats updated through Wednesday.
I’m going to have a difficult time matching my October breakout pick from last year — it was Edman, who went on to win NLCS MVP — but I’ll go with Hoerner for some of the same reasons I tabbed Edman. Edman’s defensive versatility and underrated bat gave him ample opportunity to make an impact for the Dodgers, and I think Hoerner’s splendid second base defense and recent offensive surge (.909 OPS in September) set him up to play a key role in Chicago’s success this October. He has also taken on more responsibility at or near the top of the Cubs’ lineup in September, while Kyle Tucker has been on the injured list, and if Tucker remains out — or is limited upon his return — Hoerner might be relied upon as an offensive catalyst.
Hoerner isn’t exactly an unknown quantity, as he has been a fixture in the Cubs’ infield for several years now and quietly ranks as one of the 10 most valuable players in the National League this season by fWAR. But the postseason amplifies the attention significantly, and October will represent Hoerner’s first real taste of playoff baseball. He was on Chicago’s playoff roster in 2020 as a rookie, but that was on the bench, and he didn’t end up appearing in either of the Cubs’ two games in their swift fall to Miami. This time around, Hoerner is a main character for a premier franchise looking to recapture some October magic, and he should be in prime position to contribute to the cause on both sides of the ball.
— Jordan Shusterman, Yahoo Sports
Grisham is having a career year — with 34 home runs, after his previous career-high had been 17 in 2022. Sure, the Yankees have plenty of power hitters, but each and every one of them will prove important in the playoffs. Hitting the ball over the wall is crucial in the postseason. Over the last four postseasons, teams are 95-20 when outhomering their opponents — a .826 winning percentage. Grisham’s power is a key part of that recipe for the Yankees.
But the real reason he was my pick has nothing to do with statistics and everything to do with continued redemption. We don’t have to rehash it, but Grisham played an unfortunate role in the Brewers’ Wild Card Game loss in 2019. Since then, he’s been in the playoffs twice entering this year, including going 4-for-8 with two homers in the 2022 Wild Card Series. The next phase of this Grisham playoffs evolution is full-fledged postseason hero. Because these are the stories baseball is all about.
It has already been a career year for the gregarious center fielder who was traded from Minnesota to Philadelphia at the Deadline. Bader played well enough for the Phillies in August that he effectively supplanted big-money veteran Nick Castellanos as an everyday starter. Statistically, Bader has been the single most productive player dealt at the Trade Deadline, and he’s the exact type of character who will demand even more attention under October’s bright lights.
High energy and unrelentingly boisterous, with a distinct nest of blonde curls, Bader is extremely easy to identify on TV. And he has taken over a playoff series before — remember that three-homer 2022 ALDS performance with the Yanks? In less than two months, Bader has gone from a Deadline afterthought — the Phils were understandably more amped to get closer Jhoan Duran, who has been brilliant — to a crucial component of this team, one whose catchy saying “what a gift” has already evolved into an inside-joke-type mantra for a club looking to finally get over the hump.
— Jake Mintz, Yahoo Sports
The reigning World Series champs hardly needed Pages during their 2024 title run; he received only 20 plate appearances across eight postseason games and none in the Fall Classic. However, he did have one memorable moment: a two-homer performance in NLCS Game 5 at Citi Field. This season, the second-year outfielder has been integral to L.A.’s operation. His 26 homers are the second-most on the club, trailing only Shohei Ohtani, obviously. And by Baseball Savant’s batting run value metric, Pages has been the fifth-most valuable hitter on the star-laden Dodgers.
Pages can also make a difference in the field as much as at the plate. He ranks among the top 10 outfielders in outs above average. Plus, with a cannon strapped to his right shoulder, Pages’ nine outfield assists are tied for seventh-most in the big leagues. Unlike last October, the 24-year-old will get plenty of chances to make his mark this postseason, and he can do so in multiple ways.
— Brian Murphy, MLB.com
In a lineup featuring stars such as Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Bo Bichette and George Springer, it can be easy to get lost in the shuffle. But make no mistake: Varsho is providing the Blue Jays with some big-time thump as we head into the postseason. Since coming off the injured list on Aug. 1, the Blue Jays’ center fielder has 11 homers and a .550 slugging percentage in 43 games.
Varsho’s power and presence in the middle of Toronto’s lineup provide depth that other teams can’t match. Not to mention, he’s one of the premier defensive center fielders in baseball. Expect plenty of highlights from Varsho come October.
— Russell Dorsey, Yahoo Sports
The “big” names in the Brewers lineup are Christian Yelich, Jackson Chourio and William Contreras. Not exactly Aaron Judge and Shohei Ohtani. But that’s the way the Brewers like it. Everybody hits on this team, and in the playoffs, at least one of those pesky bats is going to come through with a bunch of big hits. Our bet’s on Frelick.
He’ll be one of the hardest hitters to strike out in the playoffs. Frelick strikes out in less than 14% of his plate appearances, and he whiffs on under 13% of his swings. Hitters like him can be extremely frustrating to face in the postseason, when free outs are already hard enough to come by. That goes especially for situations with runners on base — and if the Brewers bat Frelick fifth, as they often do, he’ll come up with runners on base.
Plus, every now and then, Frelick will surprise you and yank one over the right-field fence (12 home runs this season, all to the pull side). That’s what he did in Game 3 of the Wild Card Series last year against the Mets. And oh, by the way, Frelick hit .364 in those 2024 playoffs. If the Brewers can make a deeper run this year, he’ll shine a lot brighter.
