Who is hero of the 2026 MLB playoffs?
To try to answer to that question, we're tabulating the cumulative win probability added figures for every player in the postseason. But we've added a twist: The deeper we get into the playoffs, the more weight the WPA carries. The division series counts double the wild-card round, then we'll double it again for the championship series and, finally, once again for the World Series.
This means that players who shine in the early rounds can still get on the leaderboard, but it's more difficult. Coming through when the championship leverage is at its highest is what becoming an October hero is all about.
Friday's hero: Jacob Misiorowski has been under a microscope this postseason, mostly because he's been good instead of great. For a pitcher who routinely sits in triple digits on the velocity meter, dominance in the form of lofty strikeout totals seems to be the standard. But all season, those around Misiorowski insist that his evolution this season into a star isn't because of the dominance but because he's learned how to pitch. And part of doing that is to keep the opposition off the scoreboard even if your stuff and/or command are not at peak levels. This was Misiorowski's Game 1 outing in a nutshell. He struck out just three batters but held the Rays to a lone run over five innings, making an early two-run rally by his offense standup and handing a lead to his airtight bullpen. Right now, getting a lead to that relief staff is the top task for every Brewers starter.
Methodology
As mentioned above, each player's win probability added (WPA) is tracked on a per-game basis. Each round of the playoffs counts double that of the previous round. The tabulation is then converted to an AXE-style index in which 100 represents the average for all postseason players. The "Change" column looks in the changes in AXE numbers from the previous day for players who were in action. You can sort this column by clicking on it to see the day's heroes.