In hockey, it’s always these two players mentioned - Claude Lemieux and Daniel Briere. Never seen anyone else called Mr. Play-Offs. Even The Great One doesn’t qualify because he was, well, always great. Not as well-versed in other sports, and am curious to see who consistently raises(ed) their game to an astonishlingly higher level when the chips are down.
How about Reggie “Mister October” Jackson?
Jackson earned that nickname (from Thurmon Munson) for hitting 3 home runs in one World Series game in 1977. He’d actually been benched earlier in that post season.
Other players who have done the same are Albert Pujols in 2011, Pablo Sandoval in 2012, and Babe Ruth twice in 1926 and 1928.
For the NFL, the first name that pops in my mind is Julian Edelman - subpar regular season stats, has never been named to an All-Pro or even a Pro Bowl team, but kicked it to another gear during the playoffs and ended up with the second most postseason receptions and receiving yards in history, with a Super Bowl MVP to boot.
Eli Manning might fit the bill - he had fairly average regular season stats, was never named to an All-Pro team, but managed to win two Super Bowls, against Tom Brady’s Patriots both times, no less. However, he did go one-and-done in his four other playoff appearances, so I don’t know how much you count that against him.
Robert Horry won 7 NBA titles with 3 different teams over 16 seasons and his teams never lost in the Finals. His counting stats and efficiency numbers weren’t much different in the postseason - he was a solid role player year-round, but he was known for his clutch game-winning shots in must-win games.
Terrell Davis was perhaps the best NFL RB for a 4 year period, but his post-season performance during the 2 Super Bowl runs was on another level and that’s what really made him a HOFer. He had the crazy peak PLUS the postseason. From '96-'99 he was like postseason Julian Edelman all season long and postseason T.D. in the playoffs. Career playoffs avgs of 142.5 yards and 1.5 TDs per game and 5.6 yards per carry, compared to 4.6 ypc and 97.5 yards per game for his career and 5.1 ypc and 125.5 ypg during his best (all-pro, MVP) season.
Ken Dryden had played only 6 NHL games in 1970-71 before being in all the Stanley Cup playoff games with the Canadiens, and winning the Cup that season. He also won the Conn Smythe trophy for most valuable player in the playoffs. He then won the Calder Trophy for Rookie-of-the-year the next season (1971-72).
While Dryden had perhaps the greatest start for an NHL career, I’m not convinced that for the rest of his career would necessarily fit the rerquirement of an excelled post-season game, not to mention that the Calder is awarded for play throughout the season.
Jim Leyritz probably fits the bill. The guy was something a journeyman, but while playing for the Yankees in the late 90s, he hit a ridiculously improbable number of clutch home runs in the post season.
Eli Manning. The guy was a slightly-above-average player in the regular season, but had two postseason years (2007 and 2011) where he went a combined 8-0 in the playoffs and won two Super Bowls, both times defeating vastly superior Patriot teams.
And, a decade and a half earlier, Troy Aikman. He was only a bit better than an average QB in the regular season from 1992-1995, yet went 10-1 in the playoffs in those four years.
Edelman is also the first player who came to mind for me. He was an above average player who turned into superman once the playoffs started.
Eli Manning had a good 2011 playoffs, but the 2007 playsoffs were not especially impressive. His career playoffs stats are pretty mediocre, just like his career regular season stats.
I think of David Ortiz’s postseason play for the Red Sox; when it most counted he was terrific.
In addition to a crucial role in the Red Sox’s come-from-impossibly-far-behind ALCS win in 2004 over the Yankees, he had 3 homers, 11 RBI and hit .387.
In his three World Series (all Red Sox wins) he hit .308, .333 and a ludicrous .688 (11 for 16) in 2013.
While I agree that Edelman is likely a good example of the OP’s question, him being the leader in playoff receptions and yards may be a bit misleading, as those are “counting stats,” and have a pretty good correlation with number of games played.
Edelman played on a team which went deep into the playoffs most years, and in an era where Super Bowl teams play in three or four playoff games in that season – that adds up to Edelman playing in 18 playoff games in his career (and starting 15), which few wide receivers have done, and that helps add to his numbers (though, there is no denying that he was excellent in many of those playoff games).
Bernie Carbo, lifetime .264 hitter, hit .429 in the '75 World Series, including THE home run that no one remembers (setting the stage for Carlton Fisk’s).
Christ, what Ortiz did to my poor Cardinals is something I’ll never get out of mind. He was what, .727 for the series and had some sort of stratospheric OPS. In baseball, it’s usually the hot pitching arm that is associated with success in locking down a championship, but Ortiz is the one player more than any other I’ve seen just dominate a series at the plate.
That being said, Madison Bumgarner was just insane in postseason between 2010 and 2014 - and I think he actually had a good 2016 campaign as well, even though they lost to the Cubs.
Let’s not forget…Sam Cassell of the Houston Rockets.
Big Shot Bob. Dude was a legend.
I think that the point was that Dryden won the Stanley Cup and the Conn Smythe, establishing some playoff bonafides, before he won the Calder.