Where Eddie Rosario's championship series heroics rank since 2000
Another former Twin put together a scalding postseason performance as Eddie Rosario was named the Most Valuable Player of the National League Championship Series on Saturday night.
Rosario's heroics helped the Braves reach their first World Series since 1999 and is one of the best LCS performances of the past 20 years. Here's a look at some of those performances and how Rosario stacked up.
10. Corey Seager (2020 NLCS)
Seager helped the Dodgers prevail in a seven-game classic last postseason thanks to a huge power surge. The shortstop clubbed five home runs in the series and added a 1.230 OPS to help the Dodgers advance.
Seager continued raking in the World Series hitting .400 to win World Series MVP and lead Los Angeles to its first title since 1988.
9. Yordan Àlvarez (2021 ALCS)
While Rosario was raking in the NLCS, Àlvarez was doing the same in the ALCS. He didn't have as much power as Rosario, hitting one home run in six games but he collected 12 hits and posted a 1.408 OPS as the Houston Astros defeated the Boston Red Sox in six games.
8. Nelson Cruz (2011 ALCS)
Before Cruz was hitting bombas for the Twins, Cruz was a key piece to helping the Texas Rangers win back-to-back pennants in the early 2010s.
After reaching the World Series in 2010, Cruz made sure the Rangers got back in 2011, hitting .364 with six home runs, 13 RBI and a 1.713 OPS. Cruz's walk-off grand slam in Game 2 helped the Rangers defeat the Tigers in six games but they lost to St. Louis in the World Series.
7. Jeff Suppan (2006 NLCS)
Suppan is one of the lesser-known names on the list but his performance in the 2006 NLCS is one Shohei Ohtani would be proud of.
The right-hander allowed one run over 15 innings in the series and even added a home run in Game 3. Suppan finished off the New York Mets with a dominant performance in Game 7, going seven strong innings in a 3-1 victory. The Cardinals went on to win their first World Series title since 1982.
6. Albert Pujols (2004 NLCS)
Pujols' career was just taking off when the Cardinals battled the Astros in the 2004 NLCS and he made his mark with one legendary swing.
Pujols launched a 3-run homer off Brad Lidge in the ninth inning of Game 5 which ultimately turned the series over to St. Louis. The bomb was part of a performance where Pujols hit .500 with four homers, nine RBI and a 1.563 OPS to help the Cardinals win their first pennant since 1987.
5. David Freese (2011 NLCS)
Many will remember Freese's walk-off homer from Game 6 of the 2011 World Series but the prologue was set with a dominant performance against the Milwaukee Brewers in the NLCS.
Freese hit .545 with three homers and nine RBI in the six-game series including a 3-for-4 performance with a home run and three RBI in a decisive Game 6 win that helped the Cardinals advance to the World Series.
4. Justin Verlander (2017 ALCS)
While hitters make up a majority of the list, a dominant pitcher can also take over a series. That's what happened in 2017 when Verlander became unhittable for the Astros.
The right-hander went 2-0, allowing one run in 16 innings and even threw a complete game with 13 strikeouts in a Game 2 win over the Yankees. The Astros won the series in seven games and went on to win their first World Series.
3. Daniel Murphy (2015 NLCS)
Murphy's postseason was similar to Rosario as a player who got hot at the right time. The Mets second baseman went on a tear, homering in six straight postseason games to help New York defeat the Chicago Cubs in the NLCS.
Murphy hit .529 with four homers and six RBI in the series and posted a 1.850 OPS. The Mets won the series in six games before falling to the Kansas City Royals in the World Series.
2. Eddie Rosario (2021 NLCS)
Twins fans have long known that Rosario can get on a hot streak but his NLCS performance for the Braves was downright legendary.
Rosario hit .560 with 14 hits over the six-game series and posted a 1.647 OPS. What's more impressive was the timing as the outfielder always seemed to have the big hit when the Braves needed it.
1. David Ortiz (2004 ALCS)
Ortiz was still getting settled in Boston when this series took place but he wound up being the catalyst for one of the greatest comebacks in baseball history.
Facing a 3-0 deficit to the Yankees in the series, Ortiz launched a walk-off homer in Game 4 to keep the Red Sox alive. The following night, Ortiz delivered a 14th-inning, walk-off single in Game 5 and after Curt Schilling's bloody sock stole headlines in Game 6, Ortiz hit a two-run home run in the first inning of Game 7.
The Red Sox went on to win their first World Series since 1918 and Ortiz is a legend in Boston.
The Twins haven't won a playoff game since.
