Derek Jeter
Simply put, this was the easiest inclusion on this list. Derek Jeter leads all MLB players in postseason games played (158), postseason at-bats (650), postseason runs scored (111), postseason hits (200), postseason total bases (302), postseason doubles (32), postseason triples (5) and postseason singles (143) while finishing in the top-6 in postseason walks (66), postseason RBI (61), postseason home runs (20) and postseason stolen bases (18).
Quite obviously, being a member of the Yankees for nearly two decades has a lot to do with those cumulative numbers, but the recently retired shortstop did finish with a career .308/.374//.465 slash line in the playoffs, and Jeter was also named the MVP of the 2000 World Series. In that series win over the Mets, Jeter went 9-for-22 with two home runs and two doubles (.409/.480/.864) slash line, and for the entirety of the 2000 playoffs, the “captain” produced a .998 OPS.
It can certainly be argued that Derek Jeter was never the best single player in baseball, but it also isn’t a full coincidence that his teams were seemingly always in the hunt. The 2000 World Series performance is the stuff of legend, but Jeter’s longevity is absurd, and he is a no-brainer member of this list.