Ranking the Top 5 Yankees’ All-Time Great MLB Playoff Performers
Grant White
Host · Writer
1. Derek Jeter
Mr. November. There is no more iconic playoff performer in Yankees history than Derek Jeter.
Jeter's playoff presence was felt early in his career. The fan-assisted home run in the 1996 ALCS kicked off his playoff career with his hat tip at the end of the 2009 World Series ending it. In between, we saw "The Flip" against the Oakland Athletics, the leadoff homer in Game 4 of the 2000 Subway Series, the extra-innings shot against the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2001, and so many more.
The stats and championships stand the test of time, but The Captain galvanized the Yankees in the postseason like no other player ever could.
5. David Justice
Before everyone and their father start shouting for Mr. October, our list hones in on the Wild Card era Bronx Bombers.
While he may not be Reggie Jackson and his time with the New York Yankees brief David Justice still made a profound impact in the postseason.
The 2000 ALCS MVP came through in the clutch for the Yankees, particularly in the earlier rounds of the playoffs. Justice could always be counted on for run support at the heart of the order. In two playoff runs, he accounted for 13 runs, 17 RBI, and four home runs, the most notable of which came against the Seattle Mariners in the Championship Series.
Justice's magical run with the Yankees earned him the fifth spot in our playoff performer rankings.
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4. Andy Pettitte
A consummate pro, Andy Pettitte always reserved his best performances for the postseason.
Pettitte spent 18 years in the majors, making postseason appearances in all but four of those campaigns. Every time he stepped on the mound for New York, he could be counted on to deliver a game-changing performance. The southpaw went 19-11 in 44 playoff games, with a 3.81 ERA, 1.30 WHIP, and 2.41 strikeout-to-walk ratio, all of which were improvements on his regular season stats.
Pettitte's best playoff run game was during the 2009 World Series win of the Yankees. He went 4-0 in that postseason with a 3.52 ERA and 7.3 K/9 rate. New York's dynasty years wouldn't have been the same without Pettitte.
3. Hideki Matsui
Hideki Matsui was expected to be an offensive catalyst for the Yankees when he came stateside. He had a mixed bag of results in the regular season but was always up to the challenge come playoff time.
Matsui's most memorable moments came in the postseason. In the 2009 World Series, the Japanese National put on a clinic. He swatted three homers against the Philadelphia Phillies, resulting in an asinine 1.385 slugging percentage and 2.027 OPS.
By the end of his career, Matsui had 32 runs, 39 RBI, and 10 home runs across 56 playoff games, cementing himself as a Yankees' postseason giant.
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2. Mariano Rivera
Five-time World Series Champion, ALCS MVP, and World Series MVP Mariano Rivera was everything to the Yankees come October.
Rivera was always at his best in the postseason. He led the Yankees to the playoffs in 16 of his 19 years in the bigs, somehow elevating his game when the Bronx Bombers needed him most. The Hall of Famer ended his career with a tidy 0.70 ERA in 96 playoff games, spanning 141.0 innings.
His accolades tell us everything we need to know about Rivera. Still, no one will ever replicate what Rivera meant to the Yankees in the playoffs.
1. Derek Jeter
Mr. November. There is no more iconic playoff performer in Yankees history than Derek Jeter.
Jeter's playoff presence was felt early in his career. The fan-assisted home run in the 1996 ALCS kicked off his playoff career with his hat tip at the end of the 2009 World Series ending it. In between, we saw "The Flip" against the Oakland Athletics, the leadoff homer in Game 4 of the 2000 Subway Series, the extra-innings shot against the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2001, and so many more.
The stats and championships stand the test of time, but The Captain galvanized the Yankees in the postseason like no other player ever could.
5. David Justice
Before everyone and their father start shouting for Mr. October, our list hones in on the Wild Card era Bronx Bombers.
While he may not be Reggie Jackson and his time with the New York Yankees brief David Justice still made a profound impact in the postseason.
The 2000 ALCS MVP came through in the clutch for the Yankees, particularly in the earlier rounds of the playoffs. Justice could always be counted on for run support at the heart of the order. In two playoff runs, he accounted for 13 runs, 17 RBI, and four home runs, the most notable of which came against the Seattle Mariners in the Championship Series.
Justice's magical run with the Yankees earned him the fifth spot in our playoff performer rankings.
Swing for the Fences with SportsGrid’s free daily MLB Game Picks and MLB Prop Picks.
