While a collection of talent is needed for a team to succeed over the course of a long regular season, one player can most certainly tilt the momentum in his club’s favor when it comes to playoff positioning.
Most of the 10 available postseason slots have been filled with less than a week to play. For those that remain, the contributions of these men will go a long way towards determining the October schedule.
7. Josh Harrison
There may be a more celebrated outfielder in Pittsburgh, but it’s Harrison that’s been the consistent performer on offense this month. He’s accumulated 28 hits so far in September and extended his hitting streak to 11 games after Tuesday’s victory over the slumping Braves. The end result is a batting average that’s hiked up to .317 (just three points behind the league lead).
So, it makes sense that the Pirates have the third-best on-base percentage since the start of the second half and have just nabbed a second straight postseason berth—with still an outside chance of taking the NL Central from St. Louis.
6. Robinson Cano
The Seattle Mariners made the free agency splash of the offseason by inking Cano for more money than the franchise is used to spending. His numbers on the 2014 season (14 HR, 82 RBI, and a .320 batting average) may not reflect great impact on the surface, but Cano’s insertion into the lineup began an infusion of energy at Safeco Field.
Without him, it’s unlikely the M’s would be the type of contender they are right now—albeit hanging by a thread. But if any player on this club can lead a re-charge, it’s the former Yankee who’s used to this type of atmosphere.
5. Andrew McCutchen
Of course, the Pirates ship doesn’t sail onward without the success of their leader and defending NL MVP. McCutchen is a candidate to get the award again this year, and his worth has been reflected in stark difference of Pittsburgh’s performance with him in and out of the lineup.
A rib injury forced the Bucs’ center fielder to miss 14 games. In that span, the team went 5-9. Since he’s returned, the Pirates are 22-10—and his home run on Monday was not only his 24th of the season, but it was the difference in a 1-0 win over Atlanta.
His other impressive statistics include a .313 batting average, an OPS of .948 and 37 doubles, not to mention his mere presence and gold glove capabilities in center field.
4. Felix Hernandez
Just as is the case with many contending teams and their respective aces, the Mariners have planned their rotation to the point where their main man is slated to start game No. 162.
Seattle is hoping that not only does the season finale (at home against the Los Angeles Angels) carry the significance of a postseason spot at stake, but that Felix Hernandez can perform like the Felix Hernandez we’re used to seeing. That’s because the one that made his most recent start was less than impressive.
Hernandez entered Tuesday’s outing against Toronto with a 2.07 ERA and just three earned runs allowed over the past 28 innings. He left quite early—after 4.2 innings, in fact, and tagged by the Blue Jays to the tune of a career-high eight runs in that span.
With the eventual 10-2 loss, Seattle is now three games back of Kansas City for the second AL Wild Card spot with five games remaining. In order to surpass or catch the A’s or Royals, the Mariners may need their “King” to return to form—should they ever get close enough.
3. David Price
When the Detroit Tigers acquired the former Tampa Bay Rays ace at the trade deadline, their initial intention was geared more toward October rather than September. But their struggles in the second half of the season, combined with the surging Royals, have put Detroit’s chances of winning the AL Central is far more doubt today than it was in late July.
On Sept. 17 versus the Twins, Price allowed eight hits and five runs in 5.2 innings while throwing 112 pitches. In his last five starts, he’s given up 45 hits in 31 innings. He ranks fourth in most extra-base hits yielded and fifth in most home runs allowed.
Price got the start on Tuesday night against the Chicago White Sox. He went into the ninth with a shutout, but was forced to leave with two outs after surrendering three runs that tied the game. He left with eight hits, eight strikeouts and no walks to his name, but there may be concern that manager Brad Ausmus tired him as his club heads into the climactic weekend.
Not only did Brad Ausmus let David Price give up 5 hits and a 3-run lead. He forced Price to empty his tanks. Might need him to win Sunday!
— Jayson Stark (@jaysonst) September 24, 2014
He’ll be on the hill, and get a chance to fulfill the obligations placed upon him two months ago, in Sunday’s regular season finale when the Tigers host Minnesota—a contest that could have tremendous ramifications.
2. Josh Donaldson
There are many responsible for the A’s recent free fall, which saw the club go from AL pennant favorites to AL Wild Card hopeful in the span of a couple months.
And for a lineup that has leaned more heavily on the power of Donaldson since the trade of Yoenis Cespedes, the Oakland third baseman hasn’t performed to the level he was at in the season’s first half. Of his 28 home runs in 2014, just eight have occurred since the All-Star break. In September, he’s hitting .212 with only nine runs driven in.
A three-game separation between Oakland and Seattle in the Wild Card chance should be a comfortable lead considering how little time is left in the regular season. But based on the way A’s have performed of late, nothing is guaranteed. A short spurt of offense from Donaldson can quickly alleviate that discomfort.
1. Alex Gordon
Most certainly, this spot could have gone to Miguel Cabrera. But his support system in the lineup is a bit stronger. As for Gordon, his recent slump has spread throughout the entire lineup—as evidenced by the fact that the Royals have scored just 66 runs in September (second worst in the AL).
But prior to Sept. 4, Gordon had been hitting .299 with 10 home runs over the past 27 games—a stretch in which K.C. posted a record of 18-9.
Recently, his and the Royals’ offensive magic had mostly disappeared. But it made a welcome reappearance last night in Cleveland. Gordon went 2-for-4 with two RBI in a 7-1 win over the Indians to retain one of the two Wild Card spots and remain one game back of the Tigers in the AL Central race.
After one more at Jacobs Field, the Royals finish up with four against the White Sox—arguably the biggest series in franchise history since last going to the playoffs in 1985. While it’s not all on Gordon to help produce to runs necessary to secure a postseason berth, the evidence is clear that he will have more to do with the success of the offense than anyone else in the Kansas City lineup.