In the 5 playoff trips in the Washington Nationals’ history, they’ve seen some postseason legends be born. From Stephen Strasburg pitching a flu game in the 2017 NLDS and winning the 2019 World Series
MVP, to Juan Soto saving the day in the 2019 Wild Card Game and blasting 3 home runs in the World Series, to Michael A. Taylor almost singlehandedly dragging the Nationals to the NLCS in 2017, some Nationals have risen to the occasion more than others. Using Fangraphs’ RE24 statistic, which measures a player’s runs added/prevented compared to league average, let’s take a look at the most valuable players in Nationals’ playoff history.
Most Valuable Hitters
Juan Soto: 6.29 RE24
Unsurprisingly, the king of clutch himself, Juan Soto, tops the list of most valuable Nationals hitters in playoff history. Despite just one playoff run with the club, Soto’s list of valuable moments are endless, from the bases-clearing hit in the Wild Card game, to the game-tying solo shot off Clayton Kershaw in Game 5 of the NLDS, to the go ahead bomb off Justin Verlander in Game 6 of the World Series which led to an iconic bat drop before rounding first base. The only series of the 2019 playoff run where Soto was not clearly one of the most valuable hitters on the team was the NLCS, where the rest of the ballclub were able to carry the weight and more. Perhaps one day, when the Nationals are back to consistently playing October baseball, a hitter will take this crown away from Soto, but until then, he sits atop the “clutch” leaderboards.
Anthony Rendon: 6.18 RE24
Sitting just behind Soto is Anthony Rendon, whose heartbeat was as slow as they come in the 2019 playoffs, where he was the most clutch hitter in the postseason with an 8.21 RE24. Rendon’s list of signature moments in that 2019 playoff run is legendary, from his solo shot off Clayton Kershaw in Game 5 of the NLDS, which started the Nationals’ epic comeback, to his “ball don’t lie” 2-run shot in Game 6 of the World Series after a controversial out call on Trea Turner. Rendon’s playoff heroics don’t end there either, as he hit .368 in the 2014 NLDS and hit a home run in Game 2 of the 2017 NLDS off Jon Lester, which gave the Nats the lead. The playoff run preventing Rendon from easily topping this list is the 2016 NLDS, where Rendon went 3-10, hitting a 2-run shot in Game 3, but otherwise, leaving countless runners on base throughout the series, ultimately resulting in a RE24 of -3.10, worst of all Nats hitters that series.
Michael A. Taylor: 5.70 RE24
The third most valuable hitter in Nationals’ playoff history may also be the player who rose to the moment better than anyone, that player being Michael A. Taylor. Taylor’s 2017 NLDS heroics will never be forgotten in Nationals playoff history, from his game-sealing grand slam in Game 4 to force a Game 5, to his three-run shot early in Game 5, which, at the time, seemed like it might’ve been the break the Nationals needed to win their first playoff series. Overall, he was the 5th most valuable hitter in the 2017 postseason by RE24 in only 4 games, with all 4 names ahead of him being from the World Series clubs. He didn’t stop there either, as he was a vital bench bat for the Nats in their 2019 World Series run, blasting a home run in both the NLCS and World Series. Taylor recently announced his retirement, but his contributions to the Nats in October will never be forgotten.
Most Valuable Pitchers
Stephen Strasburg: 14.04 RE24
As expected, the 2019 World Series MVP, Stephen Strasburg, is the most valuable pitcher in Nationals playoff history, and perhaps one of the most “clutch” pitchers in playoff baseball history. In 8 starts and 1 relief appearance across 3 playoff runs, Stras was dominant, going 6-2 and posting a 1.46 ERA. In the 2017 NLDS, while battling the flu, he went out and threw 7 scoreless innings in an elimination game against the Cubs, forcing a winner-take-all Game 5. In the 2019 Wild Card game, he came in and shut down the Brewers’ lineup, keeping the Nationals in the game where they could pull off their improbable comeback. In the 2019 World Series, he dominated in his two starts, winning both and posting a 2.51 ERA en route to being named the World Series MVP. We will likely never again see a pitcher in Nats history as built for the moment as Stephen Strasburg, and I am forever grateful for his contributions.
Max Scherzer: 7.68 RE24
Scherzer was good, not great, in his first 2 playoff runs with the Nationals in 2016 and 2017, posting a 0.74 RE24 in the 2016 NLDS but a -0.69 RE24 in the 2017 NLDS. 2019, however, he was vintage Scherzer throughout, as he went 3-0 and posted a 2.40 ERA across 5 starts and 1 relief appearance, coming out to a 7.66 RE24 in total. He went a minimum of 5 innings in all of his starts, giving up more than 2 runs in only the Wild Card game. Perhaps his most impressive performance was in Game 7 of the World Series, where, after not being able to move his neck due to the pain just days before and missing his Game 5 start because of it, Scherzer went out and fired 5 innings of 2-run ball against a deadly Astros lineup, keeping the game within reach and passing the ball off to Patrick Corbin. Scherzer had somewhat of a reputation as a playoff dropper for years, but he put those talks to shame with his heroics throughout the 2019 postseason.
Sean Doolittle: 5.00 RE24
The third most valuable playoff pitcher and the most valuable playoff reliever in Nationals history is Sean Doolittle, acquired at the 2017 trade deadline and the key reliever for the Nats in 2 playoff runs. In 12 total playoff appearances for the Nats, Doolittle was nails out of the pen, posting a 1.74 ERA. He was lights out in the 2017 NLDS, posting 3 scoreless innings, resulting in a 1.51 RE24, but the majority of his contributions came in the 2019 playoff run, where he posted a 1.74 ERA across 10 1/3 innings pitched, leading to a 3.49 RE24. He shared the closer role with Daniel Hudson during that 2019 run, often coming in earlier than that when needed, and he did so masterfully, posting 3 scoreless innings and knotching 1 save in the World Series when the club needed him most. Doolittle’s time with the Nationals as a coach could be nearing its end as a new coaching staff takes over entering 2026, but Nats fans will forever be grateful for his contributions as a player, especially in the postseason.
