Who is hero of the 2026 MLB playoffs?

To try to answer to that question, we're tabulating the cumulative win probability added figures for every player in the postseason. But we've added a twist: The deeper we get into the playoffs, the more weight the WPA carries. The division series counts double the wild-card round, then we'll double it again for the championship series and, finally, once again for the World Series.

This means that players who shine in the early rounds can still get on the leaderboard, but it's more difficult. Coming through when the championship leverage is at its highest is what becoming an October hero is all about.

Thursday's hero: Aaron Ashby was already our HeroAXE leader before Thursday's games. Then he went out and threw three scoreless innings to slam the door on the Dodgers and clinch Milwaukee's first pennant in 44 years. Not a bad night's work. Ashby has now appeared in six postseason games during which he's earned a win, two saves and a hold. He has not allowed a run in 12 ⅓ innings and has surrendered a .329 OPS. Could Ashby really garner some real-world consideration for playoff MVP? If the playoffs were over now, you could really make that argument.

Methodology

As mentioned above, each player's win probability added (WPA) is tracked on a per-game basis. Each round of the playoffs counts double that of the previous round. The tabulation is then converted to an AXE-style index in which 100 represents the average for all postseason players. The "Change" column looks in the changes in AXE numbers from the previous day for players who were in action. You can sort this column by clicking on it to see the day's heroes.