Vladimir Guerrero Jr.’s historic playoff run

Guerrero is simply on another level right now, hitting .442 with six homers and a 1.440 OPS over 11 games this postseason. He was just named ALCS MVP after notching a 1.330 OPS against Seattle.

That kind of production puts Guerrero in some rarefied October company — and if things continue to break right for the 26-year-old and his team in the World Series, this could go down as one of the defining playoff runs in baseball history.

For starters, Guerreroâ€s 1.440 OPS is the eighth highest any player has recorded through the League Championship Series, among those with a minimum of 35 plate appearances up to that point. Granted, the PA minimum excludes many standout postseason performances from before the Wild Card era (since 1995), but it provides the best way to compare Guerreroâ€s run to others in a similar context.

Here’s a look at the leaderboard, along with the ultimate result for that player’s team.

Highest OPS through League Championship Series
Min. 35 PAs

1. Manny Ramirez, 2008 Dodgers: 1.747 (lost NLCS)
2. Carlos Beltrán, 2004 Astros: 1.557 (lost NLCS)
3. Bernie Williams, 1996 Yankees: 1.548 (won World Series)
4. Alex Rodriguez, 2009 Yankees: 1.516 (won World Series)
5. Javy Lopez, 1996 Braves: 1.491 (lost World Series)
6. Yordan Alvarez, 2023 Astros: 1.487 (lost ALCS)
7. Daniel Murphy, 2015 Mets: 1.462 (lost World Series)
8. Vladimir Guerrero Jr., 2025 Blue Jays: 1.440 (???)

Looking ahead, thereâ€s a clear opportunity here for Guerrero to further distinguish this playoff run as one of the all-time greats.

As you can see, only four of the seven players above Guerrero advanced past the LCS: Williams, A-Rod, Lopez and Murphy. Of those four, only Rodriguez continued to perform at a high level in the World Series, posting a .973 OPS in 2009. Williams (.551 OPS in 1996), Lopez (.470 OPS in â€96) and Murphy (.470 OPS in â€15) all struggled once they reached the Fall Classic.

A-Rod’s 2009 postseason arguably stands as the benchmark Guerrero is aiming for. Rodriguez ended up finishing those playoffs with a 1.308 OPS, leading the Yankees to a World Series championship. No one has done better in a year they amassed at least 60 postseason plate appearances and won a title. Three separate David Ortiz postseasons and David Freeseâ€s epic 2011 playoff run round out the top five, to give you an idea of the territory Guerrero is approaching.

Highest OPS in single postseason, won World Series
Min. 60 PAs

1. Alex Rodriguez, 2009 Yankees: 1.308
2. David Ortiz, 2004 Red Sox: 1.278
3. David Freese, 2011 Cardinals: 1.258
4. David Ortiz, 2013 Red Sox: 1.206
5. David Ortiz, 2007 Red Sox: 1.204
Guerrero: 1.440 OPS over 51 PAs in 2025

Thatâ€s a list Guerrero has a real chance to top, but itâ€s going to take a big World Series … and a ring. If he can deliver — facing a Dodgers pitching staff that looked virtually untouchable on the road to the Fall Classic — we might just be calling this the greatest single-year performance in postseason history.

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