The biggest stage in baseball sometimes brings players out of the woodworks who leave impressions on us for the rest of our fandom. Remember Randy Arozarena in 2020? Of course you do. What about David Freese in 2011? There is no way you have forgotten about him. Daniel Murphy’s breakout 2015 postseason carrying the Mets offense to the World Series? That one is a classic.
The reoccurring theme around these names is the long-lasting impact they have on Major League Baseball lore while having entered their respected postseasons with little notoriety. Although the 2022 iteration of MLB’s postseason will include stars galore and teams who have been on this stage plenty of times, fans will see some new faces, or maybe even some familiar ones, who will look to leave a lasting legacy.
National League
The NL represents a lot of knowns. The Dodgers, who will be making their 10th consecutive postseason. The Braves, the reigning World Series Champions. The Mets, who have been quite possibly the most covered team by media outlets all year. With that said, there are still many breakout candidates in the Senior Circuit’s October presentation.
Kyle Wright, Atlanta Braves
The Braves are truly remarkable. Second to only the Dodgers, the Braves continually replenish their big league club with young reinforcements. Spencer Strider is clearly the most obvious young stud to make an impact on the mound, but due to his success, Wright’s breakout year has been lightly highlighted. Wright has posted a career-best ERA, FIP, K%, BB%, GB%, BAA, WHIP, and K/9 all while throwing a career-high 175.1 IP. Depending on circumstances, we could see a game one matchup of Wright against the Dodgers in LA. After getting his feet wet in the World Series against Houston last year, 4 total postseason appearances and 12.1 postseason IP, this could be Wright’s chance to take his next step towards stardom.
Daniel Vogelbach (New York Mets) and Rowdy Tellez (Milwaukee Brewers)
These two are clumped together for a wide variety of similarities. First and foremost, these are some big fellas. Vogelbach at 6’0″, 270lb and Tellez at 6’4″ 255 are two of the biggest guys anyone might see this postseason, or in MLB in general. Besides their monumental physiques, Vogelbach and Tellez also present another key quality: Lefty Power. Vogelbach and Tellez have hit 17 and 33 home runs, respectively, and present a real danger each and every time they step to the plate. These two have never truly found their footing in MLB, either. Tellez, 27, has found some more stability now in his second year in Milwaukee, but was cut loose by the Blue Jays following a few up and down years. Vogelbach, 29, is now on his 5th team in the last 4 seasons but playing the best baseball of his career. Both guys have the pop and power to drive the ball out of any ballpark, and in October, those bats can be game-changers.
Gavin Lux, Los Angeles Dodgers
On a team full of superstars and postseason standouts, Gavin Lux looks to make his own impression on this incredible run of LA success. Lux has gotten the most consistent playing time of his career this season, and although many of his overlying metrics remain the same, the power has yet to make much of an appearance. Graded as having 65 raw power on the 80 grade scale (via Fangraphs), Lux certainly has it within him to hit the ball out of the yard. Watch for Lux to come up in some big spots this postseason and make an impact like so many of his teammates have in the past.
Brandon Drury, San Diego Padres
Another player who has yet to truly ever find his place is Brandon Drury, yet he has broken onto the scene in a huge way in 2022. Following 7 years of subpar MLB performance, Drury was given a chance by the Reds late this offseason, a chance that he has taken and ran with. Drury is on pace to set career-bests in all of the following categories: GP, PA, HR, RBI, BB, OPS, wRC+, OPS+, SLG, Hard Hit Balls, Barrels, and more. Of all the notable acquisitions made by AJ Preller and the Friars, Drury is one of the most quiet yet productive ones. Brandon Drury may not be a household name, but he just might carry his career year into October.
American League
With many unknowns in this year’s AL side of the postseason, a great opportunity is being provided for players who have yet to reach stardom to make a name for themselves. Whether those be young, burgeoning stars or under-appreciated talents, the Junior Circuit will have plenty of candidates ready to explode in the October Sky.
Jordan Romano, Toronto Blue Jays
When the topic of the games best high-leverage relievers is talked about, Romano’s name is rarely mentioned. Yet, of the 22 pitchers with 15+ saves this season, Romano ranks 5th on that list in ERA, 4th in fWAR, 7th in FIP, and 6th in Home Runs with a total of 35 saves, the 3rd most in all of MLB. Romano has been one of the best relievers in the sport, and whether the Jays get the Rays or the Mariners in the Wild Card Round, Romano will be called on for his first postseason action in some critical moments.
Isaac Paredes, Tampa Bay Rays
In what came as a shocking move near the end of the offseason, the Rays traded away 26 year old, and blossoming star, Austin Meadows to the Tigers for little known prospect Isaac Paredes and the 71st overall pick in the 2022 MLB Amateur Draft. But, wouldn’t you know, the Rays are just going to do what they do. While Meadows has only appeared in 36 games for the Tigers this season, totaling 147 PA and 0 HR, Paredes has slugged 20 bombs, played a fairly even split among 2B, 3B, and 1B, and has amassed a wRC+ of 127 with an fWAR of 2.6. Either there is some secret formula in Tampa or they just really know how to scout, but either way, Paredes may be another under-the-radar Tampa Ray who could introduce himself to the masses this October.
Cleveland Guardians
Cleveland may not be a juggernaut or a team that strikes fear into its opponents hearts, but boy, do they play a fun brand of baseball. They throw strikes, they throw hard, they make contact, they run the bases, and they capitalize on mistakes. If you had to build a mantra for a successful ballclub, those 5 qualities would be at the top of the list. The most fascinating aspect of this team, though, is that no one really knows them! Other than Jose Ramirez, Shane Bieber, and Emmanuel Clase, you would be hard pressed to find many people who could name you many other players on this roster. Andres Gimenez garnered a start at 2B in the All-Star game and, alongside his double play mate Amed Rosario, have provided enough value (10 fWar combined) to make up for who they were traded for. Josh Naylor has provided some extra thump behind Ramirez with 19 homers along with 73 RBI’s and 115 wRC+. Steven Kwan, who is everyone’s favorite contact king, has been a rock at the top of the order during his rookie season. What about the rotation? Cal Quantrill and Triston Mackenzie have both pitched to sub 3.50 ERA’s while keeping their walk rates around 6%. Mackenzie is posting a 25.7% K% in what has been an incredible breakout campaign. They are also getting back Zack Plesac, who although has had his share of non-baseball related incidents, is another right handed arm who has been successful for this Guardians club. Cleveland will enter this postseason with a lot of players who will look to put their names on the proverbial map.
Christian Javier, Houston Astros
Clump Javier into a similar category as Kyle Wright, as he also is a member of a revered pitching staff with names who get mentioned much more than his own. Framber Valdez broke the record for the most consecutive quality starts, yet he isn’t even in the conversation for the AL Cy Young due to his other teammate’s performance, Justin Verlander. Oh, don’t forget to mention the so-far successful return to the staff of last year’s ALDS ace Lance McCullers Jr. So, where is there the time to highlight the year Christian Javier is having? Looks like it’ll happen right here! Javier has started 24 games with 5 bullpen appearances, and combined, he has posted incredible numbers. He currently resides at a lowly 11.80 K/9, 2.65 ERA, .171 BAA, 0.96 WHIP, and 3.2 fWAR. Houston is already the class of the AL, and Javier could be the pitcher to really seal the deal, no matter what role he is playing.
Logan Gilbert, Seattle Mariners
In his second full season of MLB, Logan Gilbert has taken the stride to stardom. If you have had the pleasure to watch him pitch this year, consider yourself lucky as his stuff is certainly worth the price of admission. If you haven’t, well then you will be in for a treat this October. Gilbert doesn’t receive the level of attention he should for a variety of reasons. One, he plays on the West Coast where it is just difficult for most fans to stay up and watch him play. Two, with the big splash addition of Luis Castillo and last season’s addition of Robbie Ray, he is clearly not the biggest name on the staff. Gilbert’s numbers do not lie, though, as he has pitched to a fine 3.29 ERA in 2022 along with an improved walk rate to the tune of 3.1 fWAR. He has had some rocky spurts this season, but if he is on when the lights shine brightest, we may witness a star being born.
Certainly, these won’t be the only players we come to recognize more easily this fall, and I can assure you there are others that belong on this list as well, such as an Alec Bohm or a Drew Rasmussen. Once we hit October 7th, though, we may see Daniel Vogelbach the same way we remember David Freese. Maybe Kyle Wright pulls a Madison Bumgarner-style run. What a time.
