MLB

These MLB Stars Were Complete Disasters In The Postseason

Darren Ryding - November 10, 2024

MLB

These MLB Stars Were Complete Disasters In The Postseason

Darren Ryding - November 10, 2024

For many baseball fans, the MLB postseason is the most exciting time of the baseball calendar. It’s when casual fans finally tune in because they want to watch the drama unfold. However, many elite MLB stars are complete disasters in the playoffs. and we’re not just talking about the Yankees’ annual meltdowns.

So today we’ll look at some of the most dramatic failures in the baseball postseason. These players were otherwise successful in the regular season and had strong track records. Some of these athletes had a single major incident that defined their careers. Others accumulated a poor overall record when it was most important for their team to win. Check out these postseason flops right there.

Mike Trout

It may seem at least somewhat unfair to include Trout on this list because the sample size is so small. The Angels’ star is in a strange position because he is one of baseball’s best players, or at least was for multiple years. However, he’s only made a single foray into the postseason with his franchise (via The Guardian).

The nine-time All-Star only has a single playoff hit to his name because the Angels are complete disasters. Despite their talented roster, they can’t achieve a winning season to save their lives. Baseball fans know Trout and Shohei Ohtani as two of the best but they’re not enough to make a difference for the Angels.

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Joe Morgan

Several players on this list won multiple World Series rings but that doesn’t necessarily mean they played brilliantly. Morgan enjoyed an excellent regular season record with the Reds but didn’t deliver in playoffs. He was on their roster when they won two titles but didn’t contribute much.

Morgan hit just .182 across 50 postseason games and flattered to deceive. It may be unfair to call these complete failures because they won two World Series. But the truth is that they might have won more if he stepped up and delivered when it counted (via MLB.com).

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Bill Buckner

A single moment haunted Buckner’s life after he retired from baseball. The former Red Sox star played in the World Series against the New York Mets in 1986. They went to Game Six of the Series because there was little to separate the two teams. But then Buckner cost his team the chance to bring glory back to Boston.

He made an error on an easy ground ball as Mookie Wilson’s dribbler went through his legs. It was a harrowing moment for him because he was a top player and didn’t deserve all the hate he absorbed for the rest of his life. However, this is the type of drama that makes the World Series so compelling for fans. It’s these moments that make it so memorable (via History).

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Gerrit Cole

The 2022 postseason was a mixed bag for Cole, who received a standing ovation in the ALDS. But things didn’t go well for him against the Houston Astros after Harrison Bader made a mistake. Cole infamously told him that he’d make things better but that’s not what happened.

Instead, Cole gave up a two-run home run in a humiliating moment for the Yankees star. This wasn’t entirely his fault but the way it happened was painful. He didn’t deserve it because he was one of the team’s better players throughout the playoffs (via Fansided).

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Reggie Sanders

Sanders won a World Series in 2001 with the Arizona Diamondbacks. But he endured mixed success in the postseason before this with teams like the Reds. He owns the record for the most strikeouts in a postseason game in 1995 (via Red Leg).

Ironically, this came after his first and only All-Star regular season. Sanders struck out five times against the Dodgers in Game 3 of the NLDS. It was one of the most complete disasters of his career but he eventually bounced back from this meltdown.

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Dwight Gooden

There’s no pretending that Gooden did anything well in the postseason. That’s partly down to the Mets being garbage as an entity but he didn’t help matters. His drug problems indeed derailed his career but these complete disasters occurred before then too (via Bleacher Report).

In 1986, fans saw the best version of Gooden before the World Series against the Red Sox. But he went 0-2 against them and failed to fire on all cylinders. His winless postseason career saw him finish with a 0-4 record. This was disappointing considering his overall status and talent as a player.

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Matt Holliday

In the end, the Dodgers swept the Cardinals in the 2009 NDLS. However, they had a chance to tie the series in the second game but it didn’t go according to plan. One serious problem was that Holliday suffered an unfortunate blow below the belt. It was hilarious for everybody except the left fielder and his team.

The bright lights dazzled Holliday and he lost track of the ball’s flight in the air. Then it smashed him in the groin and left him in agony. Meanwhile, his error gave the Dodgers the chance to wreak havoc. They continued and won the game as well as the series (via CS Monitor).

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Robinson Cano

Cano set historically bad numbers during the 2012 postseason with the Yankees. This included the longest hitless streak in franchise playoff history as he experienced complete disasters. The second baseman made negative headlines after he went 0-for-26 in a vicious streak.

He indeed won a World Series in 2009 so he experienced some postseason joy. But he also knows how to fail miserably in the playoffs with the best of them. The five-time Silver Slugger award winner frustrated fans because they knew how good he could be (via Bleacher Report).

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Brooks Conrad

Conrad had a terrible time in 2010 during the Braves’ NLDS clash against the Giants. He committed four major errors across the series and set a new unwanted record. The most high-profile moment came in Game Three when he let a ball sneak between his legs (via ESPN).

This cost his team the win and he didn’t play again for the remainder of the series. The Braves tried to save him from himself because he failed to convince in the clutch. It’s remarkable how some players suffer severe meltdowns in high-profile spots but can’t live up to expectations.

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Rick Ankiel

The Cardinals won the 2000 NLDS against the Braves but Ankiel didn’t do them any favors. He posted the record for the most wild pitches in a postseason game in a bizarre performance. Some players suffer complete disasters and unfortunately, Ankiel was one of them.

Then he had another meltdown in the NLCS as he had a major downturn. Injuries and issues affected him for the next couple of seasons before he changed his role. He opted to become an outfielder and reignite his career. Things improved for him and he bounced back (via ABC).

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David Price

Price’s fans will point to his 2018 World Series win and question why he’s on this list. That’s a valid argument but there’s an essential missing detail. It took Price 10 years to win his first postseason series as a starter. That’s a damning record considering his value and profile.

Yes, he had a couple of victories as a relief pitcher but didn’t inspire victory much in these. Price had a 5.44 ERA before 2018 with a miserable 1-8 record. Red Sox fans will argue that he made up for it but it’s fair to criticize his impact in previous years (via Fansided).

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San Francisco Giants (2002)

The Giants were on course to win their first World Series in 48 years in 2002. But then they blew it in incredible style as they devolved into complete disasters in Game Six. They had a 5-0 lead in the 7th inning in an unassailable lead against the Angels. But they failed to finish off their state rivals in a remarkable implosion.

They lost all of their momenta and Anaheim seized the initiative as they won the World Series. This was a shocking series of events because nobody saw this coming. In the end, it became clear that nobody should take anything for granted in the world of postseason baseball (via NBC Sports).

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Dan Wilson

Seattle fans loved Wilson and installed him in the franchise’s Hall of Fame in 2012. However, the catcher had a miserable postseason record. Some players are complete disasters in the playoffs and Wilson was one of them. He even set an unwanted record because things went so badly for him.

Wilson holds the record for most postseason at-bats without a hit after a vicious run from 1995 to 2000. He also struck out 18 times during this wretched spell. It’s remarkable because he was a good player but things didn’t go right for him here (via Seattle Times).

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Billy Wagner

Wagner was a seven-time All-Star and one of the Mets’ most important players for four seasons. The pitcher spent 16 years in MLB with just 14 postseason appearances. His experience meant that the Mets turned to him in clutch situations but these were usually complete disasters.

Unfortunately, Wagner had a terrible postseason record and didn’t perform well for his team. He accumulated a 10.03 career postseason ERA and provided less security than a broken CCTV camera. Mets fans justifiably love him but he didn’t do well in the playoffs (via Fox Sports).

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Jake Peavy

It’s funny how players flick a switch between their regular and postseason performances. Many unexceptional stars overachieve under the bright lights of the playoffs. But some of the best stars didn’t deliver when their teams counted on them. Unfortunately, Peavy fits into the latter category with some complete disasters.

Peavy accumulated a garbage World Series losing record with the Giants with some culpable displays. He allowed 53 hits over 38 innings and walked 17 times in his nine playoff starts. The Giants weren’t able to depend on him in the postseason but he was brilliant in regular-season games (via San Diego Union-Tribune).

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Mark Teixeira

The Yankees won the World Series in 2009 after they added Teixeira and several other high-profile players to their roster. But Teixeira didn’t do much to help them achieve their coveted goal. His dismal displays meant that it was easy to forget that he was even there.

This wasn’t the final time that he struggled in the postseason as his 2010 ALCS display revealed. He went zero-for-17 in one of the most complete disasters of his career. It was a shambolic performance that’s up there with some of the worst in MLB postseason history (via USA Today Sports).

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Roy Campanella

It’s fair to say that Campanella only had one good World Series despite reaching the Fall Classic an incredible five times. He hit two home runs in 1955 as he helped his franchise seal victory. But this was 50 percent of his overall homers hit in the playoffs (via Dodger Insider).

Despite this, fans regard Campanella as an icon, and the franchise named its most important honor after him. The eight-time All-Star was primarily an excellent catcher but fans didn’t see this during the postseason. That’s also a reflection of the state of the Dodgers at the time.

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Aaron Judge

Judge had a phenomenal regular season with the Yankees in 2022 as he broke records and brought joy to New York. The city watched with bated breath as he approached Roger Maris’s AL home run record. Then Judge and the Yankees had their annual postseason meltdown as they disappointed everyone.

They had no answer for the Houston Astros in the ALCS as the latter swept them across the series. Judge barely made an impact despite his profile and the team failed to fire him. It meant that the hated Astros progressed and the Yankees fell short again. But there’s nothing new there because they’re complete disasters (via CNET).

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Jim Thome

Some people might think it’s harsh to include Thome on this list of postseason complete disasters. But the reality is that he didn’t enjoy success in the playoffs and regularly underperformed. He managed 17 postseason series in 22 years but the numbers don’t support him.

73 strikeouts and a .211 average say a lot about his lack of playoff influence for five different teams. Thome has a massive reputation and many fans still remember him but he didn’t do well in the postseason. Sometimes that’s the way with the most high-profile MLB players (via Fansided).

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Jackie Robinson

Robinson remains one of the Dodgers’ most legendary players. The franchise icon was a six-time All-Star and won a World Series with his franchise in 1949. But winning one ring doesn’t mean that he always played well in the playoffs. The reality was that he didn’t live up to his high standards in the postseason.

It may be that the Dodgers would have won even more titles if they didn’t depend on him so heavily. He failed to hit .200 in half of his six World Series appearances with six stolen bases. This output was lower than most people expected from the baseball hero (via AndScape).

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Alfonso Soriano

Soriano enjoyed a fantastic MLB career after a season in Japan with the Hiroshima Carp. He spent most of his career with the Yankees and became a seven-time All-Star while he also won four Silver Slugger awards. But he endured some complete disasters in the postseason (via Forbes).

He traveled to two World Series with the Yankees and went 11-for-47 with a .234 average. Things didn’t go well for him in the playoffs when he joined the Cubs either. However, perhaps we should be more surprised that they made the playoffs at all. Soriano was great during the regular season but didn’t deliver in the playoffs.

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Tony Perez

Perez won two World Series titles with the Reds but the reality is that he did very little during his postseason campaigns. Yes, he’s one of Cincinnati’s greatest-ever players but this doesn’t mean he delivered in the playoffs. Usually, he disappeared when it counted under the bright lights.

It’s reasonable to say that he struggled to impact these series. He failed to hit a home run in 26 World Series games with three in 1975. Some might say that these weren’t complete disasters because they secured a pair of rings. But they potentially could have won more if he stepped up (via Baseball America).

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Giancarlo Stanton

It may seem unfair to put Stanton on this list after the 2022 World Series but the Yankees were complete disasters. He hit two home runs but only recorded a .625 OPS when the team required more from him. However, the Yankees as an entity were terrible as they continued their postseason drought.

Stanton is one of the best regular season outfielders in MLB but his playoff performances deceived fans. This is true of everybody on the roster though because they are underwhelming. Expectations were high but the Astros sent them crashing back down to earth (via Tampa Bay Times).

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Dave Winfield

Winfield was no stranger to weird moments because he accidentally killed a bird while playing. He also had a miserable postseason record that didn’t reflect his overall abilities. He was brilliant during the regular season but immediately played badly when it came to the business end of the year.

The star hit just one for 22 in 1981 during a miserable run. He also had an overall record of .206 from 206 plate appearances (via StatMuse). Remarkably, the 12-time All-Star had such a tough run in the postseason. But he won a World Series in 1992 and redeemed himself.

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Mickey Owen

It’s terrible when one player’s clear mistake defines a World Series. But that’s what happened in the case of Owen when he played for the Brooklyn Dodgers against the Yankees in 1941. He infamously dropped the ball in the penultimate game of the series (via ESPN).

The Yankees didn’t immediately win but the Dodgers fell into freefall. Owen’s notorious moment burst their bubble and they lost all of their momenta. Then the Yankees went on and sealed their glorious victory. It’s a shame that this is Owen’s legacy because it could have happened to anyone.

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Craig Biggio

Biggio was an iconic member of the Houston Astros and spent 20 years with the franchise. That kind of loyalty is incredible but it’s amazing how little postseason success he enjoyed in this period. Biggio’s teams made it to the playoffs on nine occasions during his lengthy stay.

But they didn’t do very well with the seven-time All-Star on their books. The four-time Gold Glove award winner didn’t steal a base or drive in a run for 14 postseason games. It took a long time for the seven-time All-Star to make an impact in the knockout stages (via Chron).

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Jorge Posada

Some readers may wonder why Posada is on this list because he’s a four-time World Series champ. But although he enjoyed team success, most of his displays were complete disasters. He failed to contribute much to the Yankees’ victories in this era despite his excellent regular season record.

Posada didn’t play like a five-time Silver Slugger award winner when it came to the business end of the year. He played in 125 postseason games but added a -2.33 win probability. Meanwhile, his World Series batting average was just .219 (via Robb Report).

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Mike Schmidt

It’s safe to say that Schmidt was a good player because he was a two-time NL MVP. He also won the World Series MVP award in 1980 when he hit .381 with the Phillies. But the Dayton native didn’t otherwise enjoy much success in the postseason because usually things went wrong.

In 1983, Philadelphia played in the World Series again but Schmidt didn’t produce. He went one-for-20 in one of the worst moments of his career. Amazingly, he experienced both highs and lows during his celebrated tenure with the Phillies (via Dayton Daily News).

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Mark McGwire

Everybody knows about McGwire’s regular season exploits as he broke record after record. Yes, he injected himself with more steroids than a racehorse but so did everyone else during that era. He battled with Sammy Sosa to be the best of the Steroid Era before Barry Bonds finally took over.

However, McGwire’s flirtations with the postseason were complete disasters compared to his usual displays. He only hit five home runs in 42 playoff games and he disappointed the fans. It’s remarkable to analyze the difference in levels and show the psychological impact of the knockout format (via Bleacher Report).

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Fred Snodgrass

This is one of the oldest entries on this list because it goes back to 1913. The New York Giants faced the Boston Red Sox in a clash with the Titans in the World Series. It was also one of the first meaningful contests of its kind and everybody watched with excitement.

However, the great Snodgrass fluffed his lines and had a complete disaster. That’s because the center fielder dropped the ball and allowed the deciding run in Game 8 of the series. The Giants didn’t achieve their first Championship until eight years later (via LWOS).

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Bill Bevens

In 1947, baseball fans witnessed one of the biggest complete disasters ever. Bevens played in his first and only postseason series but he had a living nightmare. He allowed ten batters to walk in a shocking display as he set an unwanted playoff record (via MLB.com).

Meanwhile, Bevens fell miserably short of a no-hitter which would also have been the first in postseason history. It was one of the weirdest days in baseball folklore but that’s why fans love the sport. They enjoy going back through the annals and checking out the madness of years gone by.

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Prince Fielder

Fielder was a six-time All-Star and one of the top sluggers of his generation. He regularly hit 35 home runs per season as he demonstrated remarkable consistency. But the three-time Silver Slugger award winner didn’t light up the postseason with low averages across each series (via Forbes).

It’s difficult to fathom why elite players don’t carry their brilliant form into the playoffs. Perhaps there is a psychological effect because the stakes are so high. Fatigue may also be an issue because of the long season. Whatever the reason, Fielder never did well at the most important time.

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Mariano Rivera

The Yankees were complete disasters in the 2001 World Series against the Diamondbacks. Arizona’s consistency saw them achieve victory over their New York rivals. That’s because the Yankees blew several saves at costly moments. Rivera and Byung Hung Kim were two of the main perpetrators.

Fans expected more from Rivera because of his experience and he proved himself again with the franchise. His throwing error in the final game of the series gave the win to the Diamondbacks. Sometimes it’s these incidents that are the difference between victory and defeat (via SBNation).

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Hank Gowdy

The New York Giants knew all about bad luck before the Yankees took over. Gowdy suffered one of the most embarrassing moments in baseball history at the worst possible time. That’s because the catcher accidentally trapped his foot in his mask in 1924 against the Senators.

Washington mounted a stirring comeback after they trailed 3-1 but Gowdy cost them dearly. He went to catch a ball but threw his mask into the air first. Remarkably, he trapped his foot and failed to free himself in time. The ball fell to the ground and the Nationals went on to win the Series (via Dispatch).

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Clayton Kershaw

There were stark differences between Kershaw’s regular season and postseason records with the Dodgers. Some of his performances in the latter were complete disasters as he struggled to succeed. Furthermore, he allowed five runs or more on eight occasions, an unwanted postseason record.

Kershaw enjoyed a tremendous regular season winning percentage. However, his playoff record drops below .500 as he didn’t enjoy the same success. It would be ridiculous to say that the World Series champion had a bad career. But he regularly failed to live up to expectations in the postseason (via Dodger Blue).

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New York Yankees – 2004

The entire Yankees roster from 2004 deserves mention because of one ridiculous failure. They became the first franchise in history to drop a 3-0 series lead when they faced the Red Sox. It appeared as though victory was inevitable and they already dreamed of the rings on their fingers.

Somehow the Yankees contrived to throw the ALCS away from a dominant position. They even took the lead in Game Four but lost momentum and never regained it. The Yankees know all about complete disasters but this was bad by any standards (via New York Post).

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Alex Rodriguez

The Yankees endured a lot of misery over the past couple of decades despite pouring millions into their teams. A-Rod became one of the most expensive MLB players ever when he signed a $250 million contract. They thought that they were buying instant success but that wasn’t the reality.

He won a single World Series ring with the Yankees in 2009 but this was an outlier. Usually, Rodriguez underperformed in the postseason as he hit under .200 in eight different postseason series. Rodriguez rarely shone under the bright lights of postseason baseball (via People).

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Jeff Bagwell

The Astros never had a power hitter like Bagwell who hit 449 home runs in his glittering career. It’s no surprise that he was a massive fan favorite and the player that the older supporters compared new stars to. But he didn’t enjoy the best fortunes in the postseason (via CBS Sports).

An elbow injury curtailed his only World Series appearance and affected his overall performance. He went one-for-eight in that dismal series and he never competed in the showpiece event again. Meanwhile, his overall postseason career average was .226 in 33 games.

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Barry Bonds

The irrepressible Bonds was an unstoppable force during the regular season and set the home run record. Nobody counts it because everybody knows that he took steroids, but it was still very entertaining. Despite his cheating, Bonds never had much success in the postseason.

Perhaps it’s excessive to say that his campaigns were complete disasters. But the most decorated player never to win a World Series felt disappointed with his efforts. That’s not surprising because Bonds was an extreme competitor even if he used the dark arts to win (via Yardbreaker).

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These MLB Stars Were Complete Disasters In The Postseason

These MLB Stars Were Complete Disasters In The Postseason

Mike Trout

Joe Morgan

Bill Buckner

Gerrit Cole

Reggie Sanders

Dwight Gooden

Matt Holliday

Robinson Cano

Brooks Conrad

Rick Ankiel

David Price

San Francisco Giants (2002)

Dan Wilson

Billy Wagner

Jake Peavy

Mark Teixeira

Roy Campanella

Aaron Judge

Jim Thome

Jackie Robinson

Alfonso Soriano

Tony Perez

Giancarlo Stanton

Dave Winfield

Mickey Owen

Craig Biggio

Jorge Posada

Mike Schmidt

Mark McGwire

Fred Snodgrass

Bill Bevens

Prince Fielder

Mariano Rivera

Hank Gowdy

Clayton Kershaw

New York Yankees – 2004

Alex Rodriguez

Jeff Bagwell

Barry Bonds

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