2024 MLB Division Series secret weapons

The stars are out for this Division Series. Ohtani. Judge. Skubal. Witt. Harper. Lindor. Ramírez. Tatis. This list goes on and on.

But it’s not always the stars who hold the key to advancing in the postseason. Every championship team also needs some players who aren’t household names to contribute when it matters most. Whether it’s escaping a jam with a well-executed pitch, coming through with a clutch hit or shutting down a rally with a defensive gem, these guys have what it takes to make their mark in October.

Here’s a look at each team’s “secret weapon” for it’s Division Series matchup, chosen by our MLB.com beat writers.

Guardians: RHP Cade Smith
Can you really be a secret if you own the best fWAR among all MLB relievers? In Smith’s case, probably. He’s a 25-year-old rookie who only made the Opening Day roster because injuries and illnesses sidelined other players. Since then, he’s been dominant. A master of maintaining a slow heart rate, Smith quickly became the go-to arm at the most critical points of a game, whether it be in the fourth inning or the seventh. In 74 appearances, he owned a 1.91 ERA with 103 strikeouts in 75 1/3 innings. — Mandy Bell

Royals: 2B Michael Massey
Kansas City scored just three runs in two Wild Card Series games, and it was enough. But the offense desperately needs to get in a groove and keep the line moving. Massey led off both games against the Orioles facing a righty starter and swung the bat well, going 3-for-8. Finding a consistent leadoff hitter has been a struggle all year for the Royals, who really need someone to set the table for Bobby Witt Jr., as well as Vinnie Pasquantino and Salvador Perez in the middle of the lineup. Massey doesn’t walk much, but he puts the ball in play and has some occasional pop – and he plays a solid defense at second, too. — Anne Rogers

Tigers: INF Andy Ibáñez
He’s not really a secret anymore after hitting a go-ahead, bases-clearing double off Josh Hader to beat the Astros in Game 2 of the Wild Card series. But when the Tigers face a right-handed starter, he’s lurking on the bench, ready to enter whenever a lefty reliever enters. His role is specific, and he approaches it intensely. He’s also an underrated defender, compiling six Outs Above Average while playing all over the infield. — Jason Beck

Yankees: LHP Tim Hill
Released in June by a White Sox team that was on its way to setting a Major League record for losses in a single season, Hill has emerged as a terrific find. A 34-year-old sidearmer who generates plenty of ground balls, Hill shrugged off his 5.87 ERA with Chicago and pitched to a 2.05 ERA in 35 appearances for the Yanks. He was especially tough on lefties, holding them to a .187 batting average (14-for-75) after being crushed to a .413 clip (19-for-46) with the White Sox. — Bryan Hoch

Dodgers: SS/OF Tommy Edman
The Dodgers have tried to acquire Edman for years and they finally accomplished their goal in a three-way trade with the Cardinals and White Sox before this year’s Trade Deadline. Edman, a switch-hitter, gives the Dodgers a different look. He prioritizes contact and not power, though he did hit four homers in a two-game span earlier this season. Though all the stars at the top of the lineup get the attention, Edman can be a huge piece for the Dodgers in October, especially given his defensive versatility. — Juan Toribio

Mets: OF Tyrone Taylor
“I don’t think people talk enough about Tyrone Taylor,” was how Mets manager Carlos Mendoza recently put it. Indeed, if there’s a player for whom traditional statistics and even advanced metrics fail to paint a full picture, it’s Taylor, the Mets’ glue guy, a plus defender and baserunner who has also shown a knack for well-timed hits. During the regular season, Taylor was a part-time player. He’s been more of an everyday asset so far in October, regularly starting in center field and shifting to the corners when necessary. People are starting to talk about him now. — Anthony DiComo

Padres: C Kyle Higashioka
One through eight, the Padres’ offense wears you down. They take long, feisty at-bats. They make contact and spoil pitches. “There’s not a breather in [the lineup],” said Padres manager Mike Shildt. And that’s largely because of Kyle Higashioka in the No. 9 spot. He does it differently than the rest of the Padres. He’s liable to strike out. But he’s also a 17-homer catcher, with two more in the postseason already. In addition to backstopping this excellent Padres staff, Higashioka posted a .476 slugging percentage during the regular season. Dylan Cease called Higashioka “the best nine-hole hitter in the game,” and he’s probably right. — AJ Cassavell

Phillies: RHP Jeff Hoffman
It might seem strange to call an NL All-Star the Phillies’ secret weapon, but Hoffman is going to be pitching in the game’s biggest late-inning moments throughout the postseason. Before the Phillies got Carlos Estevez before the July 30 Trade Deadline, Hoffman picked up nine saves. But since Estevez became the closer, Hoffman has been deployed anywhere from the sixth through the ninth innings, depending on the situation. Hoffman can start an inning, or handle a “dirty” inning, as Phillies manager Rob Thomson likes to call it. — Todd Zolecki