The mark of a dominant hitter is when a team chooses to intentionally walk them rather than risk pitching to them. This honor is typically bestowed upon hitters who are known to crush the ball and hit towering home runs with ease.
Shohei Ohtani hit a home run in Game 3 of the 2025 World Series, his eighth of the Los Angeles Dodgers’ 2025 postseason run. It led the Toronto Blue Jays’ pitching staff to intentionally walk the batter, even when the bases were empty. Ohtani had been so hot at the plate that the Blue Jays felt better about putting him on rather than giving him the chance to hit a game-changing home run.
We have seen some truly dominant hitters in MLB history, and some of them have gotten hot at the right time and broken out for insane postseason performances. Here is a look at which players have hit the most home runs in a single postseason.
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1. Randy Arozarena, Rays: 10 (2020)
Randy Arozarena only hit seven home runs in his 2020 rookie season with the Tampa Bay Rays. He was a late call-up but ended up being a pivotal part of Tampa Bay’s deep postseason run. Arozarena didn’t hit any home runs in the Wild Card round, but then he hit three in the Divisional Series against the New York Yankees, four in the Championship Series against the Houston Astros and three more in the World Series for 10 total, setting a new record.
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T-2. Shohei Ohtani, Dodgers: 8 (2025)
What can’t Ohtani do? He started the 2025 postseason with a bang, hitting two home runs against the Cincinnati Reds in Game 1 of the Wild Card round. Ohtani then hit a cold spell, going 4-for-33 over his next eight games at the plate.
Then, the two-way player made history yet again. In a game where he was the starting pitcher and struck out 10 batters, he clobbered three home runs. Ohtani then hit three home runs in the 2025 World Series to move into a tie for second place for the most in the postseason.
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T-2. Adolis Garcia, Rangers: 8 (2023)
Adolis Garcia had something click in the 2023 American League Championship Series against the Houston Astros. He came into the series with one home run in each round of the playoffs. The Astros kept him from an extra base hit in each of the first two games, but then he hit at least one home run in four consecutive games. His two home runs in Game 7 of the ACLS helped Texas clinch the 11-4 win.
Garcia’s biggest home run came in Game 1 of the 2023 World Series against the Arizona Diamondbacks. The game went into the 11th inning, but it ended when Garcia sent a 373 ft. home run to right field.
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T-2. Corey Seager, Dodgers: 8 (2020)
Corey Seager began his career in the shadow of his older brother Kyle, and he was even given the nickname “Kyle’s brother.” Seager started the 2020 postseason putting himself on everyone’s radar with a home run in the first game of the Wild Card round that helped the Los Angeles Dodgers defeat the Milwaukee Brewers 4-2.
Seager calmed down for the Divisional Series, but then he was a pivotal reason why the Dodgers knocked off the Atlanta Braves in the National League Championship Series. He hit five home runs in that series, and then added two more in the World Series that year against the Rays.
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T-2. Nelson Cruz, Rangers: 8 (2011)
Nelson Cruz being tied for second is impressive because there wasn’t a Wild Card series in the playoffs in 2011, and he didn’t hit a home run in the Divisional series. But Cruz then caught fire in the ALCS, hitting six home runs against the Detroit Tigers to lead the Rangers to the World Series. He then added two more in the World Series against the St. Louis Cardinals, but both came in games that the Rangers lost.
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T-2. Carlos Beltran, Astros: 8 (2004)
2004 was the first time that Carlos Beltran had made the playoffs, which is long enough ago that the Houston Astros were still in the National League. The Astros got eliminated in the NLCS, which makes this even more impressive because Beltran belted eight home runs in just 12 games.
His best performance came in Game 5 of the NLDS against the Atlanta Braves when he hit two home runs and had five RBI to give Houston the 12-3 win, which advanced Houston to the NLCS.
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T-2. Barry Bonds, Giants: 8 (2002)
Of course, Barry Bonds is on the list. He holds the record for the most career home runs and is tied for second with the most home runs hit in a single postseason run. Despite a record-setting career, Bonds only made the World Series one time. It was the San Francisco Giants’ 2002 playoff run, where Bonds launched eight home runs.
He hit three against the Braves in the NLDS, one against the St. Louis Cardinals in the NLCS and four against the Los Angeles Angels in the World Series. Bonds hit a home run in three consecutive games to start the World Series, but none of them were enough to help San Francisco win the series.
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T-8. Giancarlo Stanton, Yankees: 7 (2024)
Giancarlo Stanton arguably has as much power as anyone in MLB. He put it on display in 2024 as the New York Yankees made a run to the World Series. Stanton hit the game-winning home run in the eighth inning of Game 3 of the ALDS to put the Yankees up 3-2 over the Kansas City Royals. He then hit a game-tying home run in Game 5 of the ALCS against the Cleveland Guardians, a game in which the Yankees won in extras.
Those were his biggest home runs of the playoff run, but he managed to hit five others for a total of seven.
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T-8. Jose Altuve, Astros: 7 (2017)
Jose Altuve stands 5-foot-6 and is not known for his power, so when he shows it off, it looks even more impressive. He started the postseason with a Division Series matchup against the Boston Red Sox. Altuve played one of the best games of his career and finished 3-for-4 with three home runs as the Astros won 8-2. He tallied four other home runs in the playoff run, but none were bigger than the three he hit in that game against Boston.
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T-8. Daniel Murphy, Mets: 7 (2015)
Daniel Murphy started his 2015 postseason with a bang. He hit a solo home run against the Dodgers in a game the New York Mets won 3-1. Murphy then launched a home run in six consecutive games, including each of four games against the Chicago Cubs in the NLCS. He lost the momentum in the World Series, going 3-for-20 against the Kansas City Royals with no home runs.
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T-8. Jayson Werth, Phillies: 7 (2009)
Jayson Werth hit his first home run of the 2009 postseason in Game 2 of the NLDS against the Colorado Rockies. He hit another in Game 4 off of Ubaldo Jimenez to tie the game at four runs apiece. Werth hit three total in the NLCS against the Dodgers, but his two biggest came in Game 5 which helped the Philadelphia Phillies win 10-4 and advance to the World Series. Werth had another two home run performance in Game 3 of the World Series, but the Phillies couldn’t overcome the Yankees and lost 8-5.
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T-8. B.J. Upton, Rays: 7 (2008)
B.J. Upton was a solid baseball player, but the power was always assumed to be with his brother Justin. Upton showed that he had plenty of pop of his own, though, hitting seven home runs in the 2008 postseason. His first came in Game 3 of the ALDS against the Chicago White Sox, but it wasn’t enough for a Tampa Bay win. Upton then hit two home runs the next day to propel the Rays to a Game 4 victory.
He went on to hit four total home runs in the ALCS against Boston, pushing his total to seven. Similar to Murphy, he lost his momentum and didn’t hit any home runs in the World Series, which played a role in Tampa Bay losing to Philadelphia.
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T-8. Troy Glaus, Angels: 7 (2002)
Troy Glaus’ first trip to the postseason ended up being the best of his career. He and the Angels went on an impressive run that saw them get past the Yankees, Minnesota Twins and then the Giants in a seven game World Series. The power hitting third baseman hit two home runs in the first game of the ALDS against New York, but they were in vain as the Yankees lost 8-5. He also hit two in Game 1 of the World Series, but again, the Angels lost the game.
Overall, Glaus hit seven in the postseason. His biggest arguably came in Game 3 of the ALCS as his eighth-inning blast put the Angels up 2-1, and they held on for the win.
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T-8. Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Blue Jays: 7 (2025)
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. entered the 2025 postseason on a bit of a home run drought, but he buried that drought with a home run in his first at-bat of the ALDS and didn’t let up.
Guerrero hit three home runs in a four-game ALDS victory over the Yankees and added three more in a seven-game ALCS win over the Seattle Mariners, carrying a stunning 1.440 OPS into the World Series.
While it took four games for Guerrero to blast his first home run of the World Series, he took Ohtani deep for a two-run shot to make it seven home runs in the Blue Jays’ memorable postseason run.
