Greatest World Series Heroes of All Time
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We’re not fans of too many convoluted metrics — it’s bad for the baseball brain, you know? Yet we believe a few can be trusted, and cWPA is one of them.
What the heck is cWPA, also known as Championship Win Probability Added, you might ask? It’s the measure of change in win probability caused by a player in a game, series or season. A plus-1 rating indicates a win added to the team total, while minus-1 would subtract one. Simple enough, right?
So, to change things up a bit, we called on cWPA out of the bullpen to break down the biggest World Series difference-makers of the expansion era. Except for one notable case (see No. 27), not even we can complain about the results.
Now, you be the judge ...
30. Randy Johnson, Arizona Diamondbacks
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Year: 2001
World Series outcome: Arizona Diamondbacks 4, New York Yankees 3
cWPA: 31.01
Bottom Line: Randy Johnson
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It’s good to have a 6-foot-10 Johnson to call on in the postseason, ya think? He started and won Games 2 and 6 and saved Game 7 on no days’ rest.
If it weren’t for the numbers, we would have him higher on the list.
29. Jim Bouton, New York Yankees
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Year: 1964
World Series outcome: St. Louis Cardinals 4, New York Yankees 3
cWPA: 31.12
Bottom Line: Jim Bouton
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Bob Gibson (25.1 cWPA) was the Most Valuable Player pick, but Bouton was every bit his equal in the series in a losing effort.
In two starts, the man who authored “Ball Four” won Games 3 and 6 on the road. Do poorly in either one, and the series probably lasts no more than five games.
28. Mike Stanton, Atlanta Braves
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Year: 1991
World Series outcome: Minnesota Twins 4, Atlanta Braves 3
cWPA: 31.15
Bottom Line: Mike Stanton
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Stanton was kind of like Ray Davies of The Kinks — he wasn’t Mick Jagger, but he was crazy good just the same.
Stanton pitched 7.33 scoreless innings in five games, but because his team lost, the performance went under the radar. The lefty retired the final five batters in the crucial Game 4 when his team evened the series, even though the Braves ended up losing to the Twins.
27. Craig Counsell, Florida Marlins
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Year: 1997
World Series outcome: Florida Marlins 4, Cleveland Indians 3
cWPA: 32.48
Bottom Line: Craig Counsell
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OK, here’s the weird one. How does a guy who looked like the Marlins bat boy and hit a buck-eighty make the list? Said person reaches base on an error in the 11th inning of Game 7 — hello, Tony Fernandez, wherever you are — then he scores the World Series winner three batters later.
Yeah, we’re talkin’ win probability here, but this event seems to be more happenstance than anything.
26. Paul Molitor, Toronto Blue Jays
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Year: 1993
World Series outcome: Toronto Blue Jays 4, Philadelphia Phillies 2
cWPA: 32.78
Bottom Line: Paul Molitor
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OK, which Blue Jay didn’t have a big series? But Molitor didn’t just fatten up on one whacko 15-14 slugfest in the fourth game.
His six hits and six runs scored were pivotal in Game 3 and 6 victories as well.
25. Jim Northrup, Detroit Tigers
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Year: 1968
World Series outcome: Detroit Tigers 4, St. Louis Cardinals 3
cWPA: 32.27
Bottom Line: Jim Northrup
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Cardinals ace Bob Gibson had been invincible in the 1964, 1967 and 1968 Fall Classics. Until Northrup fooled everyone — even Curt Flood, who got a late jump on his drive to deep center field that fell for a decisive two-run triple.
He’s one of four players to have as many as two hits off Gibson in a seventh game, but none comes close to this one.
24. Rollie Fingers, Oakland Athletics
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Year: 1973
World Series outcome: Oakland Athletics 4, New York Mets 3
cWPA: 32.47
Bottom Line: Rollie Fingers
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Fingers was roughed up in a Game 2 loss — one of the four runs was earned — but he didn’t allow an earnie over 11 innings in his other five appearances.
Reggie Jackson (15.0 cWPA) was chosen Most Valuable Player of the series, but this guy deserved it more.
23. Jesse Orosco, New York Mets
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Year: 1986
World Series outcome: New York Mets 4, Boston Red Sox 3
cWPA: 33.49
Bottom Line: Jesse Orosco
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Orosco is rarely mentioned among the heroes of this wild and wacky series, but he should be near the top of the list. The lefty saved Games 4 and 7 and allowed no runs on two singles in 18 trips to the plate.
He retired the final 13 batters that he faced over three-plus games.
22. Tim McCarver, St. Louis Cardinals
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Year: 1964
World Series outcome: St. Louis Cardinals 4, New York Yankees 3
cWPA: 33.85
Bottom Line: Tim McCarver
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Series Most Valuable PlayerBob Gibson won Games 5 and 7, but if McCarver hadn’t delivered a three-run homer in the 1oth inning of the former, there might not have been a seventh game.
The catcher put up a .478/.552/.739 slash line that deserved serious MVP consideration.
21. David Ortiz, Boston Red Sox
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Year: 2013
World Series outcome: Boston Red Sox 4, St.Louis Cardinals 2
cWPA: 33.99
Bottom Line: David Ortiz
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The Redbirds were so terrified of Big Papi at the plate, they walked him four times in the final game.
He reached base 19 times in six games.
20. Rajai Davis, Cleveland Indians
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Year: 2016
World Series outcome: Chicago Cubs 4, Cleveland Indians 3
cWPA: 34.10
Bottom Line: Rajai Davis
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What were the odds that Davis would smoke reliever Aroldis Chapman for a three-run home to tie the score in the eighth inning? To that point, the career back-up was 3-of-20 in the series. Or deliver a two-out single to keep the season alive two innings later.
But that’s why we watch postseason baseball, isn’t it?
19. Pete Rose, Cincinnati Reds
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Year: 1975
World Series outcome: Cincinnati Reds 4, Boston Red Sox 3
cWPA: 36.88
Bottom Line: Pete Rose
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Rose didn’t bludgeon opponents to death. Rather, he killed them softly by way of a million cuts.
After the series Most Valuable Player went hitless in a shutout loss, he got on base an insane 16 times the final six games — nine singles, one triple, five walks and one hit by pitch. His two-out hit in the seventh inning of Game 7 tied the score, and the rest would soon be history.
18. Willie Aikens, Kansas City Royals
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Year: 1980
World Series outcome: Philadelphia Phillies 4, Kansas City Royals 2
cWPA: 38.50
Bottom Line: Willie Aikens
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After Aikens hit a pair of home runs and drove in seven runs in Games 1 and 4, the Phillies came upon a brilliant thought: “Hey, this Aikens guy could beat us. Let’s try somebody else.”
So, they pitched around him in the next two games (four walks) and won both of them.
17. Willie Stargell, Pittsburgh Pirates
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Year: 1979
World Series outcome: Pittsburgh Pirates 4, Baltimore Orioles 3
cWPA: 38.96
Bottom Line: Willie Stargell
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The O’s were 11 outs away from a champagne party when Stargell went yard with a man on base. Pops had four hits in the game and a dozen in the series.
Yeah, we would say that’s the kind of clutch that increases your win probability, all right.
16. Tony Womack, Arizona Diamondbacks
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Year: 2001
World Series outcome: Arizona Diamondbacks 4, New York Yankees 3
cWPA: 39.03
Bottom Line: Tony Womack
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At face value, Womack didn’t light it up. Until you consider when the damage was done.His two-out, game-tying double off supersaver Mario Rivera in the ninth inning of Game 7 was the height of clutchness.
He also had three hits, two runs scored and two RBI in a Game 6 blowout, which set the stage for the grand finale.
15. Dwight Evans, Boston Red Sox
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Year: 1986
World Series outcome: New York Mets 4 Boston Red Sox 3
cWPA: 43.37
Bottom Line: Dwight Evans
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Evans played under the radar for much of his career. So, it figured that the Red Sox would blow a series in which he deserved to be the Most Valuable Player otherwise.
He contributed four extra-base hits and nine ribbies.
14. Josh Beckett, Florida Marlins
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Year: 2003
World Series outcome: Florida Marlins 4, New York Yankees 2
cWPA: 45.48
Bottom Line: Josh Beckett
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Beckett pitched well enough to win Game 3 before the bullpen blew up.
Four days later, the 23-year-old reduced the mighty Yankees to sawdust in a five-hit gem in the clincher. At Yankee Stadium, no less.
13. Will McEnaney, Cincinnati Reds
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Year: 1975
World Series outcome: Cincinnati Reds 4, Boston Red Sox 3
cWPA: 46.76
Bottom Line: Will McEnaney
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After McEnaney wiggled out of a bases-loaded, no-out jam in a sixth game that Carlton Fisk would decide later, the lefty pitched a one-two-three ninth inning to protect a one-run lead in the clincher — and got his picture on the cover of Sports Illustrated as a result.
But booze and drugs sent him to the showers only four years later.
12. Bob Gibson, St. Louis Cardinals
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Year: 1967
World Series outcome: St. Louis Cardinals 4, Boston Red Sox 3
cWPA: 46.83
Bottom Line: Bob Gibson
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Gibson was the ultimate killjoy. Not only did the right-hander win Games 1, 4 and 7, but his team never trailed in any of them.
The series went the distance, but the series was never in doubt, really.
11. Mickey Lolich, Detroit Tigers
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Year: 1968
World Series outcome: Detroit Tigers 4, St. Louis Cardinals 3
cWPA: 47.36
Bottom Line: Mickey Lolich
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Teammate Denny McLain was a 31-game winner in the regular season, but Lolich had the biggest dubyah of all.
That would be Game 7 on the road, where he beat the seemingly invincible Bob Gibson on two days’ rest. Oh, and he won Games 2 and 5 as well.
10. Lance Berkman, St. Louis Cardinals
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Year: 2011
World Series outcome: St. Louis Cardinals 4, Texas Rangers 3
cWPA: 51.74
Bottom Line: Lance Berkman
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We know what teammate David Freese did in the sixth game. But how many remember that, after the Rangers regained the lead in the 10th inning, Berkman delivered a two-out, two-run single that tied the score?
He reached base a total of 16 times in the series.
9. Rollie Fingers, Oakland Athletics
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Year: 1972
World Series outcome: Oakland Athletics 4, Cincinnati Reds 3
cWPA: 52.23
Bottom Line: Rollie Fingers
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Fingers left so many, uh, fingerprints on the series, the city of Cincinnati issued an all-points bulletin for his capture. The mustachioed one protected the lead in Game 1, won Game 4, lost Game 5, saved Games 2 and 7 and sat out only Game 6.
He’s the only player to appear more than once on this list.
8. Gene Tenace, Oakland Athletics
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Year: 1972
World Series outcome: Oakland Athletics 4, Cincinnati Reds 3
cWPA: 52.93
Bottom Line: Gene Tenace
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Has there ever been a more unlikely World Series Most Valuable Player than this one? When the postseason began, Tenace was a relative no-name with 19 career home runs.
Out of nowhere, he went deep three times in Games 1 and 4 and delivered a game-winning double in Game 7, all in 3-2 victories.
7. George Springer, Houston Astros
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Year: 2017
World Series outcome: Houston Astros 4, Los Angeles Dodgers 3
cWPA: 55.36
Bottom Line: George Springer
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Springer and the Astros claimed they stopped cheating before the series was played, but the evidence screams otherwise.
6. David Freese, St. Louis Cardinals
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Year: 2011
World Series outcome: St. Louis Cardinals 4, Texas Rangers 3
cWPA: 68.31
Bottom Line: David Freese
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In a matter of three innings, Freese went from part-time infielder to full-blown postseason legend.
With his team on the brink of elimination in Game 6, he tied the score on a two-run triple in the ninth inning then won it on a walk-off homer two innings later.
5. Sandy Koufax, Los Angeles Dodgers
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Year: 1965
World Series outcome: Los Angeles Dodgers 4, Minnesota Twins 2
cWPA: 70.44
Bottom Line: Sandy Koufax
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That Koufax pitched two shutouts in the series doesn’t qualify as a news flash. What does is that Jim Kaat beat him 5-1 in the second game.
One of the greatest pitchers of his generation allowed two runs (one earned) before he was pulled for a pinch-hitter in the seventh inning.
4. Steve Blass, Pittsburgh Pirates
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Year: 1971
World Series outcome: Pittsburgh Pirates 4, Baltimore Orioles 3
cWPA: 73.31
Bottom Line: Steve Blass
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Blass allowed one run in each of two starts and went the distance both times. His four-hitter in Game 7 is one of the all-time clutch performances on the road. Truth is, his cWPA score should be a lot higher.
Do you realize how difficult it could be to focus with O’s loudmouth manager Earl Weaver in your ear the entire game?
3. Madison Bumgarner, San Francisco Giants
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Year: 2014
World Series outcome: San Francisco Giants 4, Kansas City Royals 3
cWPA: 92.06
Bottom Line: Madison Bumgarner
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Know that oversized Little Leaguer who shouldn’t be allowed to play with the small fries? Well,MadBum was that big bully.
He won Games 1 and 5, saved Game 7 on two days’ rest and allowed a total of one run in the process.
2. Jack Morris, Minnesota Twins
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Year: 1991
World Series outcome: Minnesota Twins 4, Atlanta Braves 3
cWPA: 92.33
Bottom Line: Jack Morris
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We’re not the first to say that Morris was one of the all-time jerks of the expansion era. Yet that doesn’t detract from his epic Game 7 performance — a seven-hit, 10-inning shutout that punched his Hall of Fame ticket.
The series Most Valuable Player was very good in his other two starts as well.
1. Ralph Terry, New York Yankees
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Year: 1962
World Series outcome: New York Yankees 4, San Francisco Giants 3
cWPA: 99.71
Bottom Line: Ralph Terry
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Only two years after Terry threw a fatal final pitch to Bill Mazeroski in Game 7, he was allowed to face Willie McCovey in an even worse situation with the Fall Classic on the line. Ninth inning, two outs, two runners on base, 1-0 lead.
We can’t tell whether Yankees skipper Ralph Houk had big kahunas or a really bad memory, but the decision worked out in the end. The right-hander also went the distance in a Game 5 victory.