3 candidates to do "the Daniel Murphy" this postseason

The way Daniel Murphy helped lift the New York Mets in the 2015 postseason is something fans will never forget. It’s the one thing he is best remembered for.

After hitting a career-high 14 home runs in the regular season, he turned it up a notch in the playoffs. He launched three home runs in the NLDS and another four in the NLCS. In only 37 trips to the plate, Murphy already hit half as many home runs as he did in the regular season.

Is there someone on this year’s team who could come close to replicating the success?

1) NY Mets DH Daniel Vogelbach has the power to go off

Daniel Vogelbach certainly has the power abilities to hit seven home runs in the postseason. He already has the capacity to be a Mets folk hero. When he first joined the club, it seemed like he was destined to.

As time has gone on, Vogelbach’s weaknesses have shown. He isn’t as amazing of a part-time player as some of us convinced ourselves he could be. Even in the best situations, Vogelbach is no Barry Bonds. Maybe it’s the shared given name with Murphy that helps him land on this list.

2) NY Mets 3B Eduardo Escobar could finally bloom in the postseason

We know Eduardo Escobar can hit for power. We just haven’t seen much of it. Originally signed to be someone the Mets could put behind Pete Alonso in the order, could we be in store for an unexpected surge of power from Escobar in the playoffs?

The postseason often has some unexpected heroes. Last year’s Atlanta Braves were treated to high-level performances from Eddie Rosario and Jorge Soler. Escobar would fit in well as a player to bloom late in the season.

3) NY Mets 2B Jeff McNeil has surged with home runs before

What about Jeff McNeil? He has found his home run stroke in the past. It was back in 2019 when he started doing more than knocking line drive singles. Maybe it’s him, the current second baseman, who revisits what the club’s starter at the position in 2015 was able to do.

A little more realistic and possibly better for the team would be to see McNeil simply smash a bunch of doubles with the occasional big fly. McNeil’s abilities on offense is how he can hit for a high average and make contact. Getting too familiar with home runs might just lead to a slump. But hey, we’ll take a dozen postseason home runs if that’s what he’s offering.