Building a postseason roster means planning for the moment when ninety feet matter more than another home run. Boston reached that moment in Game 4 of the 2004 ALCS. Three outs from a sweep, the Red Sox trailed the Yankees 4–3, with Mariano Rivera waiting on the mound.
Kevin Millar worked a walk. Off came his helmet, and out came Dave Roberts. Everyone knew the assignment. Rivera threw to first three times, making Roberts dive back into the dirt before he could chase second.
When Roberts finally broke, Jorge Posada’s throw followed him to the bag. His left hand arrived just ahead of Derek Jeter’s tag. Bill Mueller’s single brought him home, and Boston could breathe again. The Baseball Hall of Fame preserves the spikes Roberts wore that night, a reminder of how little separated another Boston heartbreak from a season that kept going.
The steal survives because the stakes fit inside one unforgettable image. Choosing the player who might deliver the next one takes considerably more work. A fast runner can rescue a ninth inning and weaken the tenth. An extra bat can threaten a closer and leave nobody trustworthy at shortstop. Front offices have to solve those problems before the manager reaches for a helmet.
Finding the Next Roberts Starts With a Numbers Game
Start with the names everybody expects to see. Your everyday hitters take their places on the lineup card. Behind them, the bench must cover catching, injuries, bad matchups, and whatever trouble the final innings bring.
There are 26 roster spots, with a maximum of 13 pitchers. Carrying the full pitching allotment leaves thirteen position players: nine starters and four reserves in a conventional lineup. Teams can change that roster between postseason rounds, allowing the bench to evolve with the opponent and the club’s health.
Four reserves sounds comfortable until you assign their jobs. A backup catcher occupies one spot. Another player might cover shortstop, while a third supplies an opposite-handed bat. Now the remaining choice has to answer everything those players cannot.
Your bench depth depends on how much you trust your bullpen. Carry twelve pitchers instead of thirteen, and the manager gains another option beside him. Lose a starter early, though, and that extra hitter cannot supply the missing innings.
The playoff schedule matters here. Reliable starters and fresh relievers can make a larger bench easier to justify. A tired bullpen, uncertain rotation, or looming stretch without an off day can push the decision toward another arm.
Even the catcher affects how aggressively a manager can use his hitters. Pinch-hit for the starter, and the backup must finish the game. Without another credible catcher available, the manager loses some freedom to make the next move. The last spot only makes sense after the other jobs have owners.
Speed Has to Help After the Steal
Roberts gives every speed specialist an irresistible sales pitch. Put me on first, give me an opening, and let me change the inning. That argument needs more than a stopwatch.
Atlanta faced that choice this October. MLB identified DaShawn Keirsey Jr. as its primary pinch-running option entering the Wild Card Series. The Braves carried him against Philadelphia with 11 pitchers, leaving extra room on the bench.
By the NLDS, Atlanta had moved to 13 pitchers and left Keirsey off, as MLB’s roster report detailed. That change illustrates how quickly a specialist’s place can depend on the other jobs a manager needs to cover. A useful runner can earn a spot for one round and lose it before the next without getting slower.
A front office should ask which runner the specialist would replace. Taking over for a slow designated hitter might produce a meaningful upgrade. Running for an already capable baserunner could offer much less while still removing his bat.
Stealing second also carries a different calculation from scoring on a single. The first risks an out to gain a base. Going from first to third, beating a force play, or tagging on a fly can create opportunities without attempting a steal.
Scouts should watch the details around the speed. Does the player read a pitcher’s move? Can he recognize when an outfielder needs an extra step before throwing? Will he find the ball quickly enough to take the right turn around second? Those reads decide whether quick legs become useful runs.
In MLB’s 2020 retrospective, Roberts described studying relievers on video and stretching while he waited for his chance. His preparation matters to this debate as much as his acceleration. The specialist must stay ready through innings when the manager has no reason to look his way.
The Tenth Inning Still Needs a Lineup
Now follow the move beyond the celebration. Your specialist enters for a dangerous hitter, steals second, and scores the tying run. The crowd roars, but the game continues. Baseball does not allow the replaced hitter to return, leaving the manager responsible for the runner’s next plate appearance and defensive position.
A utility player elsewhere on the bench might handle the glove. Another substitution might cover the bat. Each solution uses something the manager may need later, especially if the tying run buys several more innings instead of a quick finish.
The best running option improves the chance to score without leaving the rest of the game exposed. Sometimes a dedicated specialist passes that test. Other rosters need a reserve who runs well enough and can stay on the field.
The Extra Bat Needs to Beat Someone Specific
MLB’s account of the 2022 NLDS clincher captures the challenge: Josh Hader struck out Mookie Betts, Trea Turner, and Freddie Freeman in order. That sequence gives the bench debate a useful dose of reality. A right-handed hitter does not automatically solve a left-handed closer.
Imagine the manager looking down the bench as Hader warms. The reserve needs a convincing answer to the pitches coming toward him. A strong batting average against lefties means little if he built it against pitchers who attack hitters differently.
The scouting report should get specific. Can he reach the fastball? Does he chase the breaking ball below the zone? Will he make enough contact to give a runner on third a chance? Power matters, but so does avoiding the empty swing that leaves everyone standing where they started.
Front offices also need to respect the sample. A handful of hits against lefties can brighten a stat sheet without proving much. Longer records, recent health, and pitch-level strengths help explain whether the apparent advantage should travel into October.
Then comes the uncomfortable question: whose at-bat does he take? Replacing a struggling hitter can make sense. Removing a good hitter because of a tiny matchup sample can spend the bench without improving the lineup.
Make the Opposing Manager Commit
The three-batter minimum can create an opening. A reliever entering during an inning generally must face three batters or finish that half-inning, with exceptions for injury or illness. Send up the pinch-hitter at the right time, and the opponent may have to accept the matchup.
Wait until the reliever has satisfied the requirement, and the other manager can answer with another pitcher. The inning-ending exception matters too. Getting the final out can free the reliever from facing the next hitter, so the opportunity depends on where the game stands when the bullpen door opens.
An extra bat earns his place when the manager can identify a real opportunity to use it. Otherwise, he spends October holding a bat at the dugout rail while the situations he supposedly solves never arrive.
One Good Glove Can Keep Several Moves Alive
The Dodgers faced a different kind of bench problem during Game 3 of the 2024 NLDS. Miguel Rojas aggravated his groin injury and left the game. As Reuters reported, Andy Pages entered on the bases and took over in center field, allowing Tommy Edman to move from center to shortstop. One player’s injury changed two defensive positions.
That sequence explains why versatility matters more than a list of positions beside a name. Edman could handle the move, and Pages could fill the space he left. The Dodgers had somewhere to turn without inventing a defensive arrangement under pressure.
A reserve shortstop needs to do more than survive warmup grounders. October can ask him to charge a slow roller, throw across his body, or start a double play with a runner bearing down. An outfielder must read the ball off the bat before his speed can help. The final bench candidate should give the manager confidence to make a change deliberately.
MLB’s roster reports tracked the Dodgers’ adjustments between rounds: Kevin Kiermaier joined the NLCS roster while Rojas sat out injured. Rojas returned for the World Series, and Kiermaier came off. The need changed with the available players. What helped Los Angeles cover one round did not automatically earn a place in the next.
A dependable defender can also let a manager pinch-hit earlier. He knows someone can handle the position afterward, rather than having to save his best available bat. That freedom gives the glove value before its owner ever touches a ball.
Choose the Move Before Choosing the Player
Before finalizing the bench, draw up the inning that worries you most. Your slowest hitter reaches first with the club down one. A left-handed reliever enters against the bottom of the order. The starting shortstop feels his leg tighten while chasing a grounder into the hole.
Now work through the entire response. Who enters? Which player leaves? Where does everyone stand when the team takes the field again? Follow the lineup far enough to see who bats if the game lasts another inning.
That exercise should separate an attractive skill from a useful roster fit. The fastest candidate might offer the biggest improvement on the bases. A steadier defender could give the manager more chances to use the hitters he already has.
Health can tip the choice. Replacing an injured player during a series, with approval, rules that player out for the remainder of that round and the next. A versatile reserve can therefore protect a club from more than one difficult decision.
Keep playing the game forward, too. October extra innings begin without the regular season’s automatic runner. An early substitution may leave its replacement facing another plate appearance when the bench has little left.
No front office can guarantee the perfect opportunity. What it can do is give the manager an answer he trusts. Roberts had one when Millar reached first. The next season-saving move might require a different skill entirely.
When the dugout turns toward the bench, who gives your team a way to keep playing?
READ MORE: Pitching in the Cold: How the Guardians and White Sox Handle October Weather in Cleveland
FAQs
Q1. What does the 26th man mean in baseball?
A. The phrase describes the final player chosen for a 26-player roster. This article focuses on the last bench spot and its October value.
Q2. How many pitchers can an MLB postseason roster carry?
A. Teams can carry a maximum of 13 pitchers on a 26-player postseason roster. Carrying fewer pitchers creates room for additional position players.
Q3. Can MLB teams change their roster between playoff rounds?
A. Yes. Teams can change their roster between postseason rounds to address different opponents, injuries, and bench needs.
Q4. Why would a team carry a pinch-running specialist?
A. A faster runner can steal a base or score on a hit. Managers must also plan for his next at-bat and defensive position.
Q5. What happens if a team replaces an injured player during a playoff series?
A. With approval, the team can replace him. The injured player then misses the rest of that round and the following round.
