Written by Dave Tobener at Bloguin
Before last year’s playoffs, Madison Bumgarner was probably regarded by most baseball fans as a pretty good pitcher, just a notch or two below the best in the game. One ridiculous October later and he was a household name, gracing the cover of Sports Illustrated and selling underwear on The Tonight Show.
The Postseason can do that for a player: take a guy who’s already highly regarded in baseball circles and blow him up into the mainstream. Even casual fans who only glance at baseball in the fall know who Madison Bumgarner is.
Which players, then, could do the same thing this year? Could an established star take the next step into superstardom, or could a lesser-known player make huge waves? Let’s take a look at which players from each playoff team stand the best chance of taking the leap this October.
David Price, Blue Jays: If anyone can come close to replicate what Bumgarner did last year, it might be Price. The best pitcher on the Jays staff, Price put together an impressive regular season and looks to be on a roll heading into free agency. His Postseason record has been hit or miss, though; mostly miss, with a 4.50 career Postseason ERA to go along with a 1-5 record. But Price is a better pitcher now than he was then, arguably the most dominant starter in the American League at the top of his game. It’s easy to picture him going on an unstoppable roll.
Lorenzo Cain, Royals: An MVP candidate this year, Cain finally put all of his impressive tools together and showed he’s one of the best all-around players in baseball. A strong Postseason could vault him into superstar status, and Cain is the kind of player who can take over a series and push his team to victory. He can do it with his offense – Cain hit .333/.388/.417 during last year’s playoff run – and he can do it with his defense by chasing down nearly anything that comes his way in center field.
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