Kiké Hernández just added another line to a postseason résumé that keeps getting harder to believe.
With a two-run homer in the fourth inning of Game 3 against the Atlanta Braves and left-hander Chris Sale on Tuesday night, the Los Angeles Dodgers veteran pushed his career playoff total to 17 home runs. That moved him past Babe Ruth, who finished with 15.
For a category that includes some of baseball’s biggest October names, that’s a staggering benchmark. Ruth, the “Great Bambino,” is still one of the sport’s most iconic figures, which makes Hernández passing him in postseason homers stand out all the more.
The blast also helped the Dodgers beat Atlanta 3-1 and grab a 2-1 lead in the best-of-five National League Division Series. Now Los Angeles is one win away from ending the Braves’ season.
Hernández’s power has long been tied to the postseason, and this latest swing only reinforced that reputation. He has been called “Mr. October” for a reason, and his numbers back it up.
According to OptaSTATS, Hernández is the only player with at least 100 career home runs who has gotten at least 10% of them in the postseason. He has 151 career home runs overall, and 17 of them have come in 105 playoff games.
That split is what makes his profile so unusual. He has delivered a sizable chunk of his power when the lights are brightest, and he’s done it over a huge sample of playoff games.
Ruth’s case offers a different kind of comparison. He hit 15 postseason home runs in just 42 playoff games, while Hernández has now topped that total across a much larger postseason workload.
The Dodgers get their chance to finish the series Wednesday in Atlanta. A win in Game 4 would send them to their third straight National League Championship Series.
In Other News...
Braves May Have Exposed A Costly Dodgers NLDS Problem
Miguel Rojas exited Game 3 of the 2026 NLDS after fouling a pitch off himself in the eighth inning and feeling low back pain, a development the Dodgers confirmed on their official social media. The stopgap infielder had already appeared to be working through something earlier in the night, with his back first bothering him after he fielded a ground ball in the fifth inning.
For a Dodgers club trying to navigate October with as little disruption as possible, the timing is the real concern. If Rojas cannot continue in the series, Los Angeles may be forced to make a postseason roster change, a move that would test the teams infield depth at a point when every available defender matters even more. [Read more 🡒]
Dodgers Suddenly Face A Miguel Rojas Problem In The NLDS
Miguel Rojas night ended early in the Dodgers National League Division Series game against the Braves after he fouled off a pitch and started showing signs of discomfort with a low back injury. Tommy Edman came on as a pinch hitter in his place, leaving Los Angeles to sort through an immediate issue at a spot where Rojas has helped steady things throughout the postseason run.
The bigger concern now is what this means for the rest of the series, because the Dodgers do not yet know how available Rojas will be moving forward. Any lingering limitation could force roster and lineup adjustments at a critical point, and for a team trying to keep its infield options intact in October, even a short-term absence would matter. [Read more 🡒]
Dave Roberts Made One Dodgers Gamble Look Brilliant In Game 3
Dave Roberts spent Game 3 pushing the right buttons, and the Dodgers benefited from nearly every one of them. He shuffled the batting order and got Kike Hernandez into a spot where he could make an impact, then watched Hernandez deliver a key two-run homer that helped set the tone. It was the kind of lineup tweak that can look minor before first pitch and inspired once the game starts bending your way.
Roberts also managed the night with a steady hand on the mound, letting Yoshinobu Yamamoto work seven innings before turning to Tanner Scott and Edwin Diaz to close the door. The sequencing mattered as much as the names themselves, giving Los Angeles a cleaner path through the late innings and underscoring how much this team can gain when its manager is willing to be aggressive at the right moments. [Read more 🡒]