NEW YORK -- Utility player during the summer, difference-maker in October. That is the Enrique Hernández story. The Los Angeles Dodgers super utility man is one of the most versatile players in the game, and also one of the greatest postseason performers in recent memory. Wednesday night, Hernández added to his legend in Game 3 of the NLCS (LAD 8, NYM 0).
Against righty Reed Garrett, Hernández swatted a two-out, two-strike, two-run homer to stretch LA's lead to 4-0 in the sixth inning. The Dodgers had stranded a small army on the bases in the first five innings and were letting the Comeback Mets hang around, which is something the Milwaukee Brewers and Philadelphia Phillies learned is a very bad idea earlier this postseason.
Here is Hernández's homer to put Game 3 out of reach:
The home run is Hernández's second of the postseason. His first, a solo shot in NLDS Game 5 against the San Diego Padres, opened the scoring in the win-or-go-home game. Overall, Hernández is 7 for 21 (.333) with two homers in six games played this postseason, and, believe it or not, he did not play in Game 1 or 3 of the NLDS. He's been a mainstay since Game 4 though.
"I don't know, man, I've been asked this question a lot and I don't know the exact answer other than it just brings out the best in me," he said after Wednesday's game. "I don't know if it's the Latino blood, I don't know what it is, man, but, you know, I put myself in a position since I was a little kid thinking that I was playing October baseball when the games were important for me as a kid and I think one of the things, I mean, I can't ... you can have one bad postseason and then not go back to the postseason in a couple of years and I've been blessed with, this is like my ninth postseason already and I don't think I'd have the numbers that I have if it wasn't for how much experience I have and as much as I've been in the postseason. I got two guys to my left [David Ortiz and Derek Jeter] who have pretty impressive resumes in October and the regular season, too, but I don't know, it just it brings out the best in me and I love playing in October."
Hernández became the 20th player with 15 career postseason home runs thanks to his Game 3 heroics; his 223 plate appearances are the second fewest among those 20 players. Only Babe Ruth (15 HR in 167 PA) and Nelson Cruz (18 HR in 207 PA) have hit the ball out of the park at a higher rate than Hernández among the 15-homer club. He's one of the greatest postseason power hitters ever, truly.
The difference between Hernández's career regular season numbers and postseason numbers is staggering:
| AVG/OBP/SLG | PA per HR | BB% | K% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Regular season | .238/.308/.405 | 32.5 | 8.7% | 19.8% |
Postseason | .277/.352/.538 | 15.6 | 9.1% | 19.6% |
During the regular season, Hernández hits home runs at the pace of, well, a utility player. In the postseason, his career home run rate is roughly what teammate Shohei Ohtani put up this year before October hit. Hernández has a three-homer game to his credit in October (2017 NLCS Game 5) and more postseason series with a 1.000 OPS (seven) than a sub-.700 OPS (six).
Hernández gets into his power against the best pitching that high-quality opponents have to offer, and he does it without sacrificing any contact. The league strikeout rate increases in the postseason every year -- it was 22.6% during the regular season and is 23.4% in the postseason in 2024 -- yet Hernández ups his production without whiffing more. That's as impressive as the power.
This summer, Hernández authored a .229/.281/.373 slash line that was 15% below average once adjusted for ballpark, which is more or less who he is at this point in his career. A below-average bat who helps his team most by playing all over the field. And I do mean all over the field. Hernández played every position except catcher in 2024 (he even pitched).
Once you get to October, though, Hernández becomes indispensable because of his power, his versatility, and his slow heartbeat. Some players get jumpy this time of year and fall out of their approach. Others, like Hernández, meet the moment and become the best version of themselves. One of the game's best postseason performers has the Dodgers two wins away from the pennant.
"We're in Los Angeles. Some of the greatest athletes of all-time," Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said after the NLDS. "And those great ones aren't afraid to fail. And Kiké, when you talk about postseason in whatever sport, you can't be afraid to fail. And this guy always rises to the occasion."