The greatest, most iconic postseason homers ever

A timely postseason home run can change the fortunes of any player or any franchise in the blink of an eye. But the criteria for how a playoff homer becomes the stuff of legend extend far beyond good timing. You have to account for the players involved, the stage, the stakes, the reactions, the emotions, etc. All of it comes together to form a baseball moment that can be seared into our minds forever.

When Freddie Freeman hit his walk-off grand slam against the Yankees in Game 1 of the 2024 World Series, he earned his place on this list of the greatest home runs in postseason history.

Freddie Freeman's walk-off slam secures Game 1 of the 2024 World Series
Freeman channeled his inner Kirk Gibson from the 1988 Fall Classic when he hit a walk-off grand slam at Dodger Stadium on a sprained right ankle. It was just the second postseason walk-off grand slam and the first to happen in the World Series. Freeman also became just the third player in World Series history with a walk-off home run while his team was trailing, joining Gibson and the Blue Jays' Joe Carter (1993 Game 6).

The circumstances in which Freeman had this opportunity only furthered his legendary home run. With runners at second and third and first base open, the Yankees opted to intentionally walk Mookie Betts in front of Freeman. Little did the Yankees -- or the baseball world -- know that it set up one of the most iconic home runs in baseball history.

Juan Soto sends the Yankees to the World Series
In the 10th inning of Game 5 of the 2024 American League Championship Series, Soto came to the plate with two runners on and two outs with the score tied, 2-2. Facing one of the best relievers in the game, the Guardians' Hunter Gaddis, Soto smashed a go-ahead three-run homer over the center field wall at Progressive Field.

That towering drive proved to be the difference in a 5-2 Yankees win that clinched the franchise's first AL pennant in 15 years. Acquired in a trade with the Padres the prior offseason, Soto delivered the biggest hit of the year to that point to put the finishing touches on a hard-fought five-game ALCS against Cleveland.

Pete Alonso's historic dinger stuns Milwaukee in 2024 NL Wild Card Series
The Mets were scoreless through eight innings against the Brewers in their winner-take-all NLWC Game 3 at Milwaukee's American Family Field. However, their offensive struggles paled in comparison to Alonso's. The slugger was in the middle of a power outage that featured zero extra-base hits over a 12-game span. But all he needed was one chance to make a difference.

Alonso got that chance when he stepped into the batter's box with runners on the corners and the Mets trailing by two runs in the ninth. Brewers closer Devin Williams threw him a 3-1 changeup in the zone, and Alonso slammed it over the right-field wall to catapult the Mets into the lead and silence the Milwaukee crowd. In the process, Alonso became the first player in MLB history to hit a go-ahead home run with his team trailing in the ninth inning or later of a winner-take-all postseason game. The Mets added another run later in that frame and held on for a 4-2 victory to advance to the NLDS.

Yordan Alvarez delivers dramatic homers in 2022 ALDS and World Series
Alvarez's three-run, walk-off homer with the Astros trailing by two runs and down to their final out against the Mariners in Game 1 of the 2022 ALDS electrified Minute Maid Park and ignited Houston's run to a second World Series title. It was the first walk-off home run in postseason history by a team trailing by multiple runs.

To cap off an incredible postseason, Alvarez was the hero again for the Astros in Game 6 of the World Series against the Phillies, launching a go-ahead three-run homer in the sixth inning that led to Houston clinching the title.

Bryce Harper's drive lifts Phillies into Fall Classic
In Game 5 of the 2022 NLCS against the Padres, Harper took center stage and pummeled a go-ahead, two-run shot in the bottom of the eighth inning at Citizens Bank Park. It was the decisive blow in the Phillies' victory, which sent them to the World Series. He became the sixth player to hit a go-ahead homer with his team trailing in the eighth inning or later of a potential clinch game -- authoring a moment that Philly fans will treasure for a long time.

Howie Kendrick's decisive blow in the 2019 World Series
You could argue that Kendrick authored the two biggest homers of the '19 postseason. First, he toppled the 106-win Dodgers in the NLDS with a tiebreaking grand slam in the 10th inning of a winner-take-all Game 5. Three weeks later, he beat the 107-win Astros and helped bring home the first championship in Nationals franchise history with this go-ahead, two-run liner off the foul pole in the seventh inning of Game 7. It capped a magical run for the Nats and Kendrick alike. The veteran infielder didn’t experience much success through his first 33 postseason games. But in 17 games during the 2019 playoffs, he drove in 12 runs and had six extra-base hits.

José Bautista (bat) flips 2015 ALDS in Blue Jays' favor
This home run is certainly a worthy inclusion on its own merits. It's a no-doubt, three-run blast in the latter stages of a game with a trip to the ALCS on the line. And the eruption from the Rogers Centre crowd is fantastic. But let's not bury the lead any longer: Bautista's bat flip absolutely puts this over the top. So dramatic, so aggressive. Bautista told the Texas Rangers to hit the road with his lumber in more ways than one. It's quite possibly the greatest bat flip in history. When you couple that with a series-deciding long ball, you end up with an unforgettable postseason moment.

The Giants win the 2014 pennant behind Travis Ishikawa
Even though Bobby Thomson isn't a part of this list, "The Giants win the pennant!" still makes a cameo thanks to Ishikawa as well as announcer Joe Buck.

Ishikawa is the epitome of what makes the postseason so special: Anyone can be a hero if given a chance. In this case, "anyone" is a former 21st-round Draft pick who was out of baseball in 2011, almost gave up the sport, then bounced around between five clubs while registering only seven home runs and a .392 slugging percentage over the next three seasons.

But he got that chance to be a hero in the bottom of the ninth inning of Game 5 in the 2014 NLCS and did not miss an inside fastball from Cardinals pitcher Michael Wacha. It was Ishikawa's lone homer in 49 career postseason at-bats.

Big Papi's momentum-turning grand slam in the 2013 ALCS
This isn't a list of David Ortiz's best postseason homers, but it could be. Perhaps the greatest playoff performer in the game's history, Ortiz has created more than enough October memories to have his own list. As far as postseason dingers go, you could choose his walk-off clincher in the 2004 ALDS or his series-extending blast during that year's ALCS. But his biggest playoff homer may have arrived nearly a decade later, when Boston trailed by four runs and was four outs away from dropping into a 2-0 hole in the '13 ALCS. Ortiz then sent an offspeed pitch -- and Tigers outfielder Torii Hunter -- into the Red Sox’s bullpen for a game-tying grand slam. The Sox were nearly unstoppable from there and went on to claim their third championship in 10 seasons.

As with so many of these home runs, its impact is fortified by an indelible image: the juxtaposition of the falling Hunter and the exalted cop in Boston’s 'pen.

David Freese forces Game 7 in the 2011 World Series
This home run dropped the curtain on one of the craziest Fall Classic games ever. The Cardinals trailed by multiple runs and were down to their final strike in the ninth and 10th innings. The champagne was all but uncorked in the Rangers' clubhouse. But the cardiac Cards came back from the brink both times. Freese helped out with a game-tying, two-run triple in the ninth and then cemented his postseason legacy when he led off the 11th with the game-winner to straightaway center field. Joe Buck's call -- "And we'll see you tomorrow night!" -- paid homage to his late father, Jack, whose voice will definitely show up further down this list.

Magglio Ordonez sends Tigers to the 2006 World Series
Ordonez's three-run shot off of Huston Street set off a raucous celebration at Comerica Park that must have seemed unfathomable just a few years prior. Entering 2006, Detroit hadn't qualified for the playoffs since 1987 and was only three seasons removed from losing an AL-record 119 games. But the turnaround came quickly as the Tigers improved their win-loss mark by 52 games between '03 and '06. They ended their postseason drought, wiped out the Yankees in their Division Series and captured their first pennant since 1984 with this homer that swept the A's out of Detroit.

Albert Pujols' 2005 NLCS liftoff in Houston
Never has a Major League crowd gone from full volume to dead silence so quickly. The Astros were one out from advancing to the World Series before Pujols got every single stitch of a misplaced slider from Brad Lidge and gave St. Louis the lead. The ball likely would have become a celestial object if not for the closed roof at Minute Maid Park. As Houston eventually won this series two days later, this home run could have become nothing more than a footnote. But considering who was at the plate, what was on the line, and the sudden change both on the scoreboard and in the stands, its impact is undeniable.

Chris Burke clinches the 2005 NLDS with 18th-inning HR
About a week before a future Hall of Famer brought Houston to its knees, an unlikely savior brought Astros fans to their feet. After Houston fought back from a 6-1 deficit in the eighth inning of Game 4 vs. the Braves, the two sides engaged in one of the longest playoff battles ever. Finally, in the 18th inning and after nearly six hours of baseball, Burke stepped into the batter's box. He had all of two postseason at-bats to his credit at that point and hit only five homers during the regular season. But again, sometimes the bright lights of the postseason shine brilliantly upon the player you least suspect. Burke nailed a line drive just firm enough to get it into the left-field Crawford Boxes, setting up Houston's date with St. Louis.

Aaron Boone continues 'The Curse' in the 2003 ALCS
"The Curse of the Bambino" was over. And then it wasn't.

In the seventh game of a heated series, the Yankees rallied for three runs off MLB ERA leader Pedro Martinez in the eighth inning, tying the score at four. Mariano Rivera then threw three scoreless frames to move this instant classic to the bottom of the 11th. That's when Boone, who entered as a pinch-runner during that eighth, drove the first pitch he saw from Tim Wakefield into the masses. In a flash, the future Yankees manager had secured the franchise's 39th pennant and added another chapter to baseball's best rivalry.

Derek Jeter becomes 'Mr. November' in 2001
The Yankees hit three home runs within a 24-hour span that could have landed on this list. Jeter's World Series heroics aren't possible without Tino Martinez's game-tying shot in the ninth inning of Game 4. And then Scott Brosius did the exact same thing in the pivotal Game 5. But we’ll go with The Captain’s 10th-inning dinger, which occurred in the opening seconds of Nov. 1, representing the first time an AL/NL game was played beyond October. The first walk-off homer of Jeter’s career earned the Yankees a series tie and earned him a new nickname.

Blue Jays repeat as Joe Carter wins the 1993 World Series
"Touch 'em all, Joe! You'll never hit a bigger home run in your life." The words of Blue Jays radio play-by-play announcer Tom Cheek still ring in the ears of Toronto fans everywhere.

The reigning champions entered the ninth inning of Game 6 of the '93 Fall Classic trailing by a run. But after stringing together a walk and a single against Phillies closer Mitch Williams, Carter sent a liner just over the left-field fence, providing only the second World Series-clinching homer in MLB history. The count of "bigger" home runs ever doesn't extend past a few fingers.

Kirby Puckett ends Game 6 of the 1991 World Series
Leave it to the heart and soul of those late-'80s and early-'90s Twins teams to provide the most dramatic moment in franchise history. Puckett was a total menace during the '91 postseason as he compiled a .333/.396/.667 slash line with four homers across 12 games. He finished a double shy of the cycle in Game 6, but all anyone remembers is how he rocketed an 11th-inning offering from Charlie Leibrandt over the left-field wall at the Metrodome.

Well, people remember that and Jack Buck's call of the homer, which was repeated by the younger Buck one day shy of exactly 20 years later in St. Louis.

Kirk Gibson's iconic HR in the 1988 Fall Classic
Is this the greatest postseason home run ever? It kind of has everything. A hobbled MVP overcoming his doubters to take one World Series at-bat. A team leader who, after falling behind in the count, socked a home run off one of the best pitchers in baseball to save victory from the jaws of defeat. There's an incredible reaction from the Dodgers' dugout and crowd. There's the shot of a car's brake lights being activated as the ball flies into the stands, leaving at least one early-departing fan in the parking lot with an incalculable amount of regret. There's Gibson fist-pumping as he labors to make it around the bases as well as enduring calls from Jack Buck and Vin Scully. The title of greatest is subjective, but this is definitely in the top tier.

Dave Henderson stuns Angels in the 1986 ALCS
Henderson's go-ahead home run against Donnie Moore with two outs in the ninth inning of Game 5 didn't win this series. It didn't even win the game; the Angels came back after experiencing this heartbreak to tie things up in the bottom of the inning and still had multiple opportunities to advance to the World Series.

But Henderson makes this list because his one swing ultimately changed everything. He drove in the winning run in Game 5 with a sac fly in the 11th -- also off Moore -- and laid the groundwork for the Red Sox to stampede over California in Games 6 and 7. Boston claimed those contests back at Fenway by a combined margin of 18-5.

Cards fans go crazy for Ozzie Smith in the 1985 NLCS
Three thousand and nine.

Entering the ninth inning of Game 6, Smith had gone 3,009 at-bats without a home run as a left-handed batter. No. 3,010 came against Dodgers southpaw Tom Niedenfuer. Naturally, that at-bat ended with "The Wizard" lofting a ball beyond the right-field wall to walk it off for the Cards. How can something like that happen? Because you can't predict baseball.

Reggie Jackson's 3-homer night in the 1977 World Series
The moniker of "Mr. October" was not bestowed upon Jackson after just one outstanding performance. Among all AL/NL players who played playoff baseball prior to the Wild Card Era, no one had more home runs, extra-base hits, total bases or RBIs. Only Mickey Mantle topped Jackson in runs, and only Pete Rose had more hits.

But if you want to know why the meaning of "Mr. October" is universally understood in the baseball lexicon, just marvel at what Jackson accomplished on Oct. 18, 1977, as he took Burt Hooten, Elias Sosa and Charlie Hough deep at Yankee Stadium. Pujols is the only other player to hit three Fall Classic home runs in a game against three different pitchers.

Chris Chambliss gets mobbed after winning the 1976 ALCS
This home run carries obvious historical weight since it was the first to win a League Championship Series. But this pennant-winning play is remembered just as much, if not more, for what happened immediately after the ball glided over the fence. As Chambliss rounded second base, he was engulfed by Yankees fans who could not contain their excitement over the team's first trip to the World Series in 12 years. Chambliss barely made it to third base and decided against going for home. He instead ran, spun, dodged and bowled over fans on his way to the clubhouse. While the Yankees began popping champagne bottles, Chambliss headed back to the field to finally tap home plate -- or at least tap over the hole where home plate was before it was dug up and taken away into the Bronx night.

Carlton Fisk waves it fair in the 1975 World Series
It is undoubtedly the most memorable gesticulation in baseball history.

Legend has it that the cameraman who was shooting Game 6 of the '75 World Series from inside the Green Monster was frozen stiff in fear by a rat lingering nearby. So, with the score tied in the bottom of the 12th and the camera fixed on Fisk, the Red Sox's catcher belted a pitch from Pat Darcy down the left-field line. At this point, the ball's path is out of Fisk's control, but that doesn't stop him from emphatically waving the ball fair as it travels. That's followed by a leap of triumph as the ball collides with the foul pole, forcing a Game 7 in one of the best World Series ever.

Bill Mazeroski wins it all for the 1960 Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates had 16 winning seasons from 1928-59. The New York Yankees won 16 World Series during the same span. So when the two clubs met in the '60 Fall Classic, it was a true "David vs. Goliath" situation. And Goliath definitely showed up; the Yanks outscored the Pirates, 55-27, and outhit them, 91-60. But Pittsburgh was able to notch narrow victories in Games 1, 4 and 5, setting the stage for a Game 7 that featured 10 runs over the frantic final two innings. The last blow was delivered by Mazeroski, who opened the bottom of the ninth with a title-winning homer to left off Ralph Terry.

Babe Ruth's called shot in the 1932 World Series
Baseball fans will forever debate the legitimacy of this claim. But it is believed that Ruth, during his fifth-inning at-bat in Game 3, motioned to either Cubs pitcher Charlie Root or the opposing dugout or someone that he was about to go yard, just as he had done in the first inning. Specifically, he was going to send the next pitch out to center field. Sure enough, Ruth did just that to break a 4-4 tie. The Yankees won that game, 7-5, and completed a sweep of the Cubs the following day. What is undisputed is that the home run was the 15th and final one Ruth would ever record in a World Series.

Note: Bobby Thomson's "Shot Heard 'Round the World" in 1951 and Bucky Dent's division-winning dinger vs. the Red Sox in 1978 are not included here because those home runs occurred in what are considered regular-season games.