Steve Pearce
It’s safe to say that if Steve Pearce didn’t contribute as he did in these playoffs for Boston, they wouldn’t be World Champions right now. The 35-year old journeyman was acquired by the Red Sox in mid-July and was the sole reason Boston won Game 4 and 5 in the Fall Classic against the Dodgers.
His bases-clearing double in Game 4 was absolutely huge and got Boston back in the game, along with his solo homer just innings later. In the series-clinching Game 5, Pearce went deep twice, once off Clayton Kershaw for a two-run shot in the first inning then once again for a solo bomb in the eighth inning against Pedro Baez.
In the World Series alone, Pearce hit .333 with three homers and eight RBI’s on his way to being named the World Series MVP. For the entire postseason, he hit .289.
Pearce has always shown potential to hit the long ball in his career, but not at this rate, especially on such a big stage. He was a gigantic part of this World Series-winning team and a great acquisition by Dave Dombrowski. He grew up a Red Sox fan so the opportunity to play for his favorite childhood team obviously hit home with Pearce, especially when he saw that the World Series was a possibility.
At 35-years old, he clearly showed there are no signs of slowing down. It wouldn’t be surprising at all to see Boston offer Pearce a contract after his offensive breakout in the playoffs.