Finding other “October Kikés”

Looking at Kiké Hernandez's postseason success and some of the most clutch players across sports.

At this point, why is anyone surprised when Kiké Hernandez performs like a superstar during the postseason. Nicknamed “October Kiké” by Dodgers fans for his heroics, Hernandez has once again stepped up and has been hitting at an All-Star level when the Dodgers have needed him most.

In 32 at-bats so far this postseason, Hernandez has 11 hits, four of them for extra bases, four RBI and has scored seven runs. During the regular season, he was barely above the infamous “Mendoza Line,” hitting just .203 in 92 games and barely had a positive bWAR at 0.1 while dealing with a left elbow injury. In 95 career postseason games, Hernandez is slashing .286/./361/.515. His regular season career slash line is .236/.305/.403.

After the Dodgers swept the Reds 2-0 in the Wild Card Round, with Hernandez going 4-8 with a double and three runs, he and his manager, Dave Roberts, were asked about his postseason success via MLB.com’s Andres Soto.

“I know they brought me here for these type of moments,” Hernandez said. “It sucks that for 162 games, it didn’t really go well. But once we get here, it doesn’t really matter.”

“October Kiké is something pretty special,” Roberts said. “And the track record speaks for itself. Throughout history, he’s one of the best throughout history of the postseason.”

While Hernandez, known more for his defensive versatility than his bat, is a very solid contributor, he definitely falls more into the “role player” category during the regular season.

Thanks to Hernandez, the Dodgers are up 3-0 on the Brewers in the NLCS and are just one win away from making it back to the World Series. If the Dodgers do end up going all the way, Hernandez will almost certainly cement himself as a true legend. While he will never be in the Hall of Fame and will likely never make an All-Star team, his postseason success has cemented “October Kiké” in baseball history.

Who else across sports elevates their game in the postseason like Hernandez?

1. Nick Foles, NFL

A backup for the majority of his career, Nick Foles stepped in as the starting quarterback for the Philadelphia Eagles during Week 14 of the 2017 season after Carson Wentz tore his ACL.

Foles dominated during the 2017 playoffs and helped lead the Eagles over the New England Patriots and Tom Brady in the Super Bowl. Leading up to the Super Bowl, he went 23-30 and threw for 246 yards against the Atlanta Falcons in the Divisional Round and 26-33 for 352 yards and three touchdowns against the Minnesota Vikings in the NFC Championship.

In the Super Bowl, Foles out-dueled Brady, the undisputed greatest quarterback of all time. Foles threw for 373 yards and three touchdowns, and even caught a touchdown on a trick play, and the Eagles beat the Patriots 41-33, earning Super Bowl MVP honors in one of the greatest offensive performances in Super Bowl history.

2. Robert Horry, NBA

A career role player, Robert Horry, nicknamed “Big Shot Rob,” is one of the most clutch and overall winningest players in NBA history. A seven-time NBA champion with the Houston Rockets, Los Angeles Lakers and San Antonio Spurs, Horry played a crucial role on each of those teams and hit some of the biggest shots in NBA history.

Horry hit countless buzzer-beaters, crucial late-game shots and made other big plays throughout his 16-year NBA career. Some highlights include a game-winning shot with 6.5 seconds left in Game 1 of the 1995 to lead the Rockets over the Spurs, a buzzer-beating three with the Lakers to take down the Sacramento Kings in Game 4 of the 2002 Western Conference Finals and a 21-point fourth quarter and game-winning three-pointer with the Spurs against the Detroit Pistons in Game 5 of the 2005 NBA Finals.

3. Steph Curry, NCAA Men’s Basketball

Once upon a time, Steph Curry was not in the conversation as the best point guard of all time, but was an undersized and overlooked shooter on the Davidson Wildcats. When Davidson made it to the 2008 NCAA Tournament as a 10 seed, Curry really took off and began to build his legacy as an all-time great.

Curry showed out in the first round against the seven-seeded Gonzaga Bulldogs with 40 points. Through four games in the 2008 edition of March Madness, Curry averaged 32 points and shot 44.2% from deep, becoming the fourth player ever to score 30 points in his first four tournament games.