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The 2025 MLB playoffs begin with the Wild Card Series on Tuesday and there is no more pressure-packed time of the year. Every game, every at-bat, every inning is under the microscope. The margins are so small this time of year that one mistake can swing your team's season. At the same time, one big moment can make you a hero forever.

With that in mind, here are 10 players facing immense pressure this postseason. Pressure to perform, pressure to set themselves up well for free agency, pressure to put on a good show. Subjective, this exercise is, but what ranking isn't?

1. Aaron Judge

We could debate these rankings until we're blue in the face, but I think we would all agree Judge belongs at No. 1. The Yankees captain and reigning AL MVP is inarguably the best hitter in the world, but that has not yet carried over his immense regular season success (career 1.028 OPS) into October (.768). Plus, last year he made the crucial error that started New York's unraveling in the fifth inning of Game 5 of the World Series. Judge wants to atone for last year's screw-up and win a World Series ring. He's an all-time great Yankee, but until he wins a championship, he'll never be in the same pantheon as Derek Jeter, Reggie Jackson, and others. That's the way it is with this franchise and no one knows it better than Judge. He needs a big October more than any other player.

2. Kyle Tucker

Tucker has won a World Series (2022) and played in two other Fall Classics (2019 and 2021), though he was never the star of the Astros, right? Those were Jose Altuve's, Alex Bregman's, and Yordan Alvarez's teams. Tucker was a great, great player with Houston, don't get me wrong, but this postseason will be his first as The Guy. Add in his upcoming free agency, something that may have already been (but I bet wasn't) compromised by his recent finger and calf injuries, and Tucker has a lot on the line this postseason. He can win himself another ring and also make himself a lot -- A LOT -- of money with a strong postseason for the Cubs.

3. Manny Machado

Similar to Judge, Machado's postseason performance (career .684 OPS) has not yet caught up to his regular-season showing (.824). The Padres badly need Machado to be a difference-maker this October too. They hit 152 home runs this year, fewer than all but two other teams, and it's really hard to win in the postseason when you don't hit the ball out of the park. San Diego needs Machado drive the bus to have a deep postseason run. He can't be a passenger.

4. Tarik Skubal

Simply put, it's hard to see the Tigers making noise in October without Skubal dominating and without winning his starts. The pitching chaos that led the Tigers to their first postseason berth in a decade last year just hasn't been there this season. Detroit blew a 14-game division lead, and although they still made the postseason, that had to leave a bad taste in their mouths. So too did the grand slam Skubal served up to Lane Thomas in Game 5 of last year's ALDS. Skubal is as important to the Tigers as maybe any other player is important to his team this postseason.

5. José Ramírez

OK, I take that back immediately, because Ramírez is more important to the Guardians than Skubal is to the Tigers. I say that not to diminish Skubal, but to highlight just how crucial Ramírez is to Cleveland. He is their only reliably above-average hitter. The guy the other team circles on the lineup card and says "we can't let him beat us." An improved offense in September helped the Guardians catch and pass the Tigers in the AL Central, but that improved offense still ranked only 13th in runs scored per game for the month. This team has a razor-thin margin offensively. If Ramírez doesn't perform, they're cooked.

6. Garrett Crochet

I anticipate Crochet will have many postseason opportunities with the Red Sox in the coming years. They're set up well for sustained contention. There is some pressure on him this year though because Brayan Bello looked worn down in September and Lucas Giolito has an elbow issue that will cause him to miss at least the Wild Card Series. Similar to Skubal and the Tigers, it's hard to see the Red Sox making a serious run this October with anything less than a dominant Crochet. 

7. Aaron Nola

Zack Wheeler is irreplaceable and his season-ending thoracic outlet decompression surgery takes a pretty significant bite out of Philadelphia's World Series odds. They're still in very good shape atop the rotation with Cristopher Sánchez, Jesus Luzardo, and Ranger Suárez, but it takes a village to get through October, and Nola will be called on at some point. He pitched to a 6.01 ERA in 17 starts around ankle and rib injuries, with some gems mixed in and a few absolute stinkers. Vintage Nola would give the Phillies an enormous advantage in a short series.

8. Vladimir Guerrero Jr.

Had he not signed his 14-year, $500 million extension earlier this year, Guerrero would be closer to the top of these rankings. He's secured his bag though, which lessens the pressure at least a little bit. Still, there is pressure on Vlad Jr. to help the Blue Jays win a postseason game, something they haven't done since 2015. Guerrero had a very sluggish finish to the regular season, putting up a .375 OPS in the team's final 14 games as Toronto was trying to hold off the Yankees in the AL East.

9. Tanner Scott

Does it not feel like Dodgers manager Dave Roberts will use Scott in a high-leverage situation at some point this postseason? Possibly even to close? Scott gave up 11 home runs in 2025 after giving up 11 home runs from 2022-24 combined. He really has no business seeing important late-inning work, and I worry Roberts will ask Scott to get some key outs even though he's really not qualified to do that right now. Surely Scott feels pressure to redeem himself for the regular season. Being asked to get crucial outs will only ratchet the pressure up a notch. The Dodgers are as healthy as they've been in a long time and most of their players proved themselves last October. Scott is one of the exceptions.

10. Cal Raleigh

Is there pressure on Raleigh to valide his tremendous and historic regular season? Yeah, maybe. It's only natural for players to want to perform well in the biggest moments, and given his 60-homer season, plenty of eyes will be on the man they call Big Dumper this October. This is the best Mariners team in more than two decades thanks in large part to Raleigh's excellence. If that excellence is not there in the postseason, it will be a letdown.