MLB insider feels Craig Kimbrel's playoff woes may have dimmed reliever's HOF chances: "His postseason failures could keep him out"

Philadelphia Phillies' reliever Craig Kimbrel had a disappointing postseason, and MLB Insider Bob Nightengale reaffirms that claim. The Arizona Diamondbacks defeated the high-flying Phillies in seven games, eliminating Philadelphia's hopes of reaching the World Series in successive years.

"Craig Kimbrel may have 417 career saves, but his postseason failures could keep him out of the Hall of Fame" - Bob Nightengale via USA TODAY

Kimbrel has played in 24 postseason games since 2016, during which time he has given up 22 hits and 17 walks in 23 ⅓ innings while yielding a 5.40 ERA and.848 OPS.

He cost the Phillies two games in the NLCS against the Diamondbacks; the Los Angeles Dodgers kept him off their playoff roster in 2022; and the Red Sox were scared to use him to wrap up their World Series championship in 2018.

"I'm just thankful Craig Kimbrel didn't end up costing the Red Sox a World Series in 2018" - Thomas_Carrieri

Kimbrel was so unreliable with the Dodgers in October of last year that he was left off the NL West champions' postseason roster. After the strikeouts were gone, all that was left was hard contact.

It was by no means a major story when the Phillies signed him this past winter as a low-risk free agent, believing the renowned flamethrower still had it in him.

Craig Kimbrel has a mediocre postseason record

Craig Kimbrel has headlined the postseason with five different ballclubs, the latest with the Phillies, which resulted in a harrowing defeat. In his 30 career playoff appearances, Kimbrel has a 0-3 record, an ERA of 4.50, 32 strikeouts, and 10 saves.

A soul-snatching knuckle-curveball and a game-changing unicorn fastball helped 21-year-old pitcher Kimbrel turn heads and miss bats when he first entered the major leagues with the Braves in 2010.

"Craig Kimbrel's 400th save was against the Braves. Save #1 was with Atlanta!" - MLBVault

His first five seasons with Atlanta may have been the best run by a reliever in Major League Baseball ever, with an incredible 14.8 strikeouts per nine innings, a 1.43 ERA in 294 appearances, and 186 saves. Among the pitchers with the highest strikeout percentage this season were Aroldis Chapman and Felix Bautista.

Who knows, maybe Kimbrel has one final push to redefine his slowly decaying career and nurture his strengths in the hopes of retaining a spot in an active bullpen next year.