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5 Underperforming MLB Pitchers who Dominated in the Postseason

by Jeremy Block - 9/11/2025

Underperforming MLB pitchers who dominated in the postseason Ryan Vogelsong

Postseason baseball can be a totally different game. All year, a pitcher can struggle, look like they’ve forgotten how to throw a strike, and give up more home runs than you can count on one hand. Then, when the calendar flips to October, they somehow transform into a postseason fiend, making batters look like amateurs. It's like a light bulb flickers on, and suddenly they become unhittable. 

But that's the beauty of October baseball. It’s unpredictable, chaotic, and sometimes, it comes from the guys who spent all year looking ordinary. So, let's take a look at five pitchers who were having a "meh" regular season, only to turn into postseason superstars when the lights were brightest.

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Joe Blanton (2008)

Remember Joe Blanton? Yeah, I get it—he wasn’t exactly on anyone’s postseason scouting report heading into the 2008 playoffs. With a 4.69 ERA between the A’s and Phillies, Blanton was just another guy in the rotation. Sure, he wasn’t a disaster, but he didn’t exactly showcase any ‘October ace’ material either.

Then the playoffs rolled around, and somehow, Blanton flipped the switch. He went 3-0 in his postseason starts with a 3.58 ERA, quickly becoming one of the Phillies' most dependable arms. His highlight moment? Game 4 of the World Series, where he went six innings, gave up just two earned runs, and struck out seven, all while helping the Phillies seize control of the series.

Blanton went from being pretty much a non-factor during the regular season to a guy the Phillies could actually rely on when the stakes got high. His performance throughout the postseason played a big role in Philadelphia snagging their second World Series title.

Josh Beckett (2003)

There’s always that one guy who shows up when you least expect it, and in 2003, that was Josh Beckett. Sure, he had a solid regular season with a 3.04 ERA, but nobody was exactly marking their calendars for Beckett’s October breakout. In a rotation that included a young Dontrelle Willis, Beckett was good—but not the guy you’d expect to be the difference-maker.

Then came the postseason, and Beckett woke up. He started strong in the NLDS, posting a 1.29 ERA, and he kept that momentum going into the NLCS, where he pitched 19 innings, while striking out 19 batters. But when the World Series rolled around? That’s when he became an absolute monster. Over 16 innings, he allowed just two earned runs and posted a 1.10 ERA—talk about turning it up when it matters most. 

And Game 6? Don’t even get me started. He threw a shutout, striking out nine and made the Yankees look like a little league team at the plate. Beckett was the MVP of the World Series for a reason.

So yeah, Beckett went from "just another guy" to full-blown October legend. In total, across the entire postseason, he posted a 2.11 ERA with 47 strikeouts over five starts. 

Ryan Vogelsong (2012)

If you were looking for a breakout star in the Giants' rotation during the 2012 regular season, Ryan Vogelsong wasn’t exactly the first name that popped up. With a 3.37 ERA, he was solid enough, but far from the guy you’d bet on to carry a team through the postseason. But come October, he turned into a different pitcher altogether.

With a 1.09 ERA over three starts in the playoffs, Vogelsong was one of the biggest reasons the Giants made it to the World Series and took home the title. His Game 2 performance in the NLCS was especially huge—surrendering just one earned run in seven innings pitched.

 For a player who’d spent most of his career as just another back-of-the-rotation guy, Vogelsong’s postseason run was one of the biggest surprises of 2012.

Jimmy Key (1992)

Jimmy Key’s 1992 regular season was solid, but let’s be real—no one was looking at him thinking, 'This guy’s about to carry us to the World Series.' With a 3.53 ERA for the regular season, he was decent but nowhere near a game-changer. 

Then the playoffs came around, and Key turned it up. In four postseason appearances, he posted a ridiculous 0.75 ERA, giving up just one earned run in 12 innings. He was downright dominant, and helped keep Toronto’s World Series hopes alive. His performance in those playoffs was purely clutch, and it helped springboard the Blue Jays to their first-ever World Series title.

David Wells (2003)

A 4.13 ERA in the regular season doesn’t scream “October hero,” right? It’s not the kind of stat that makes you think, 'This guy’s about to dominate.' But once the postseason hit, David Wells completely flipped the script. Suddenly, he was the pitcher the Yankees leaned on in big spots—and, of course, he delivered.

In the 2003 postseason, Wells posted a 2.31 ERA, surrendering six earned runs in 23 innings. And Game 5 of the ALCS? He threw seven innings, allowed just one earned run, and struck out five. That start was key to keeping the Yankees' playoff hopes alive, pushing them one step closer to another World Series title. 

Look, whether you're a fan of the Pinstripes or not, Wells showed that when October arrives, all the regular-season stats don’t mean much—what matters is stepping up when it counts.

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