Tim Mcgrady
Few things can electrify a home crowd or silence the stadium like a home run in baseball. While other sports have their big moments — a thunderous dunk in basketball, a perfectly-placed penalty kick in soccer, or the last-second Hail Mary in football — the home run stands tall as one of the most dramatic and definitive plays in sports. In October, when the stakes are highest, a single swing can change the trajectory of an entire season.
Let’s dig into 10 of the most iconic playoff home runs in MLB history. Batter up!
1. Bill Mazeroski – 1960 World Series, Game 7
Team: Pittsburgh Pirates
Opponent: New York Yankees
Moment: Walk-off home run in the bottom of the 9th
No list of postseason home runs is complete without Mazeroski’s legendary shot. With the score tied 9-9 in Game 7 of the 1960 World Series, Mazeroski led off the bottom of the 9th inning and launched a drive over the left-field wall at Forbes Field. It remains the only Game 7 walk-off home run in World Series history — a moment that turned a steady second baseman into an eternal Pittsburgh legend.
2. Kirk Gibson – 1988 World Series, Game 1
Team: Los Angeles Dodgers
Opponent: Oakland Athletics
Moment: Walk-off home run with injuries
Gibson’s home run is the stuff of Hollywood scripts. Battling injuries in both legs and not even expected to play, Gibson was called in to pinch-hit in the bottom of the 9th. Facing the dominant closer Dennis Eckersley, he hobbled to the plate and, on a full count, crushed a backdoor slider into the right-field stands. His fist-pumping trot around the bases is etched into baseball lore. The Dodgers would ride that momentum to win the series.
3. Joe Carter – 1993 World Series, Game 6
Team: Toronto Blue Jays
Opponent: Philadelphia Phillies
Moment: Walk-off home run to win the World Series
Joe Carter’s three-run blast in the bottom of the 9th sent SkyDome into chaos and sealed back-to-back titles for the Blue Jays. It was only the second time a World Series was ended by a home run (after Mazeroski’s), and Carter’s famous leap around the bases made this one of the most iconic moments in baseball history. Broadcaster Tom Cheek’s call — “Touch ’em all, Joe, you’ll never hit a bigger home run in your life!” — was the perfect soundtrack.
4. David Ortiz – 2004 ALCS, Games 4 and 5
Team: Boston Red Sox
Opponent: New York Yankees
Moment: Back-to-back walk-offs
Ortiz’s 2004 postseason is the stuff of legend, but his back-to-back walk-off hits in Games 4 and 5 of the ALCS against the Yankees are unforgettable. In Game 4, his 12th-inning homer kept Boston alive. In Game 5, it was a game-winning single in the 14th. These moments sparked the Sox’s historic comeback from a 3-0 deficit and propelled them to their first World Series title in 86 years. Big Papi became the face of the Curse Breakers.
5. Aaron Boone – 2003 ALCS, Game 7
Team: New York Yankees
Opponent: Boston Red Sox
Moment: Walk-off home run in the 11th inning
With tensions high in the Bronx and the ALCS tied 3-3, Boone stepped to the plate in extra innings and crushed the first pitch he saw from knuckleballer Tim Wakefield into the left-field seats. Just like that, the Yankees were going to the World Series, and Boone had a lifetime ticket to Yankees lore. It was one of the most painful gut punches in Red Sox history — until they got their revenge the following year.
6. Albert Pujols – 2005 NLCS, Game 5
Team: St. Louis Cardinals
Opponent: Houston Astros
Moment: 9th inning bomb to avoid elimination
The Astros were one strike away from their first World Series appearance. Minute Maid Park was ready to explode. Then Albert Pujols stepped in. With two men on, he launched a towering home run off Brad Lidge that rocketed off the glass façade above the train tracks in left field. The silence in the crowd was deafening. While the Cardinals lost the series, Pujols’ home run remains one of the most intimidating postseason blasts ever.
7. David Freese – 2011 World Series, Game 6
Team: St. Louis Cardinals
Opponent: Texas Rangers
Moment: Game-tying triple and walk-off homer
Freese’s Game 6 performance is arguably the best clutch display in postseason history. With the Cardinals down to their last strike in the 9th, he hit a game-tying triple. In the 11th, he sent a walk-off home run to center field, forcing Game 7. The Cardinals would go on to win the series, and Freese cemented himself as a hometown hero with a performance for the ages.
8. Reggie Jackson – 1977 World Series, Game 6
Team: New York Yankees
Opponent: Los Angeles Dodgers
Moment: Three home runs on three pitches
Mr. October earned his nickname in this game. Reggie Jackson smashed three home runs on three consecutive pitches from three different pitchers. Each one was more majestic than the last, and by the time he circled the bases for the third time, Yankee Stadium was shaking. Jackson’s performance powered the Yankees to their first championship since 1962 and remains one of the greatest individual games in MLB history.
9. Jose Bautista – 2015 ALDS, Game 5
Team: Toronto Blue Jays
Opponent: Texas Rangers
Moment: Bat flip heard ‘round the world
Bautista’s 7th-inning three-run home run capped a wild inning and gave the Blue Jays a lead they wouldn’t surrender. But it wasn’t just the homer — it was the bat flip. Bautista stared at his blast for a split second, then launched his bat into the air in a moment that instantly went viral. It was a powerful statement of emotion, passion, and clutch performance, sparking debates and celebrations across the baseball world.
10. Bryce Harper – 2022 NLCS, Game 5
Team: Philadelphia Phillies
Opponent: San Diego Padres
Moment: Go-ahead home run to clinch NL pennant
In a tightly contested game with a World Series berth on the line, Harper stepped up in the 8th inning and delivered. With one man on, he drove a 99 mph fastball the opposite way into the left-center seats. The “Bedlam at the Bank” was in full effect as Citizens Bank Park erupted. Harper’s homer sealed his status as a Philly legend and helped send the Phillies to their first World Series since 2009.
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