Kiké Hernández doesn’t need much time to remind everyone why October has always felt like his natural habitat.
After missing most of the regular season, the Los Angeles Dodgers utility man stepped right back into the spotlight in Game 3 of the NLDS and changed the tone of the night. Hernández, who began the year on the IL before later suffering an oblique strain, played only 41 games this season and finished with a .222 average, a .671 OPS, four home runs and 12 RBI. Three of those homers came in August and September, and his final regular-season hit came on September 26 in the Dodgers’ second-to-last game.
Then came the postseason, where the switch flipped again. Hernández entered Game 1 of the NLDS as a defensive replacement without getting an at-bat, but in Game 3 against Atlanta left-hander Chris Sale, he was in the starting lineup and wasted no time making it matter. His two-run homer opened the scoring in a 3-1 Dodgers win, and Freddie Freeman added a solo shot later.
That blast gave Hernández 17 career postseason home runs, putting him in a tie with Hall of Famers David Ortiz and Jim Thome, as well as future Hall of Famer Aaron Judge.
Say what you will about WAR, it’s useful shorthand. Codify’s side-by-side-by-side-by-side comparisons of those four players makes it very clear, even without full context, that Ortiz, Thome, and Judge was or are superior players to Hernández.
But when it comes to October, when it really matters, they’re in the same league.
the four guys with exactly 17 postseason homers pic.twitter.com/KmkNbixLQp
- Codify (@CodifyBaseball) October 6, 2026
And this isn’t just a Dodgers thing. Hernández has delivered big October production before, most notably with the Boston Red Sox in 2021.
In that postseason, he hit .408 with a 1.260 OPS, collected four doubles, a triple, five homers and nine RBI in 11 games. He struck out only six times in 49 at-bats, and his walk-off sac fly sent Boston to the ALCS.
That’s the part the Dodgers know well enough by now. They don’t need Hernández to carry them through the middle of the summer. They need him when the calendar turns and the games tighten up, and that’s exactly where he keeps showing up.
It’s hard to explain, but the pattern is impossible to miss. The regular season may come and go, but once October arrives, Kiké Hernández becomes one of the game’s strangest and most reliable forces.
In Other News...
Ronald Acua Just Added Another Layer To Atlantas Offseason Pressure
Ronald Acua Jr.s latest October run ended with more questions than answers for Atlanta, and the pressure around the Braves offseason has only grown louder because of it. His struggles in the recent playoff series stood out, especially after the knee issue was aggravated enough to push him into designated hitter duty for the first time in the postseason, a reminder that his health and effectiveness are now part of the same conversation.
Acua also drew criticism for the way the series unfolded, from an ABS challenge moment to his inability to deliver with runners in scoring position. After the loss to the Dodgers, he said he wants to stay with the Braves, but he also acknowledged the uncertainty hanging over winter roster decisions, which leaves Atlanta with a familiar problem and a new layer of urgency. [Read more 🡒]
Dodgers Get A Familiar NLCS Test After Brewers Stars Took Over
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Milwaukees defense had its own defining moment when Mitchell made a catch that kept a potential game-tying homer from changing the games shape, while Padres lefty Robbie Ray took the loss in relief. For the Dodgers, the matchup brings a team that just survived a tight Division Series and leaned on timely power, steady pitching and one big out in the field to get here. [Read more 🡒]
Dodgers Are Back In The NLCS With One October Question Remaining
The Dodgers are headed back to the National League Championship Series for the third straight year after finishing off the Braves in four games, a familiar October position for a club that has made deep postseason runs feel routine. Andy Pages two-run single in Game 4 helped push Los Angeles through, while Tyler Glasnow and the bullpen handled the pitching side well enough to keep Atlanta in check and let Edwin Daz close it out.
For Dave Roberts, the series win added another layer to an already hefty October rsum, as he moved into sole possession of second place on the postseason wins list for managers with 72. The bigger question now is the one that always follows the Dodgers this time of year, because getting back to the NLCS is no longer the challenge. What comes next is the part that has kept this core chasing something bigger. [Read more 🡒]