Ahh, the playoff beard… Is there any other fad in sports right now that’s more ubiquitous than having a full-on lion’s mane? Whether or not the superstition of sporting one of these facial fads actually lives up to its billing is beside the point; these beards are just downright fun to marvel at.
In line with the on-going Major League Baseball Playoffs, let’s take have a few good stares at the most notable postseason fuzz that’s catching a lot of buzz.
But don’t let this quirky piece get the better of your actual MLB postseason betting fix. After this, check out our complete preview for Game 6 of the ALCS between the Toronto Blue Jays and the Kansas City Royals, who both have representatives in our literally hair-raising countdown below.
Top 10 Baseball Player Beards in the 2015 MLB Postseason
10. Sam Dyson
[sc:MLB240banner ]After giving up the home run heard around the world – wait, let me rephrase – after giving up the bat flip heard around the world, Sam Dyson starts our list. Had he pitched a better game against Toronto he would’ve been higher. As the innings went on though, his red fiery beard got angrier and angrier. It’s almost like it was agitated as he and the Rangers sunk in the game and ultimately the series.
Thankfully Dyson’s firebeard now rests at the bottom of a household drain somewhere in Texas. The world is safe again.
9. Kelvin Herrera
Speaking of neckbeards, doesn’t Kansas City’s Kelvin Herrera look a bit like a Hispanic Andrew Luck right now?
Well, Herrera and the Royals are playing like Luck and the Indianapolis Colts (2014 Colts, that is) right now, currently leading the Blue Jays in the ALCS. But learn from Andrew’s mistakes, Kelvin – what you’re rocking now is solid enough as to not look more like a hobo, and your team’s doing fine with that length of facial hair as well.
8. Clayton Kershaw
Yikes, we were wrong about Herrera looking like Luck, ’cause Clayton Kershaw’s already got the whole neckbeard thang goin’ on himself.
However, spending all that time to grow that mane didn’t help the three-time Cy Young Award winner in the playoffs after another early playoff exit for the Los Angeles Dodgers in this year’s NLDS. Maybe he deserves a “Sigh… Old Award” this season instead for having a beard that added the most age to a player’s looks by refusing to shave.
7. Jose Bautista
Joey Bats touted this look way before the playoffs even began. Heck, he’s actually killing it, both on the plate and with that well-trimmed foliage.
Bautista may need to start rubbing his jawline a little more often, though, as he and his Jays are not finding that notorious offensive power in the playoffs that made them the late-season favorites to win the World Series this year.
6. Pedro Alvarez
Arrr… Is that perplexed Pedro Alvarez I spot out there on the shore, me matey?!
It’s been a while since we’ve seen Alvarez sport at least a five o-clock shadow, so we guess he’s really sticking with this full-on swashbuckling look for the Pirates from now on.
Don’t get us wrong; the excess of facial hair actually suits him, but any sort of positive aura supposedly emanating off of his beard has not rubbed on to Pittsburgh whatsoever yet, as his team has not advanced from the Wild Card Game of the postseason for three-straight years now.
5. Matt Harvey
Sorry, Matt Harvey, but you don’t belong at the top of our list for just being an amazing ace in this year’s playoffs, especially with that lackluster effort to cultivate your facial landscape.
Still, we’re giving you bonus points for looking like a slightly-overweight Jon Hamm (of Mad Men fame). Which now begs the question: was Don Draper a New York Met before becoming an advertising messiah in one of his untold backstories from the series?
4. Evan Gattis
Momma, that’s a baaad-lookin’ man right there…
You have every right to fear Evan Gattis, alright. “El Oso Blanco” here has one mean bat that the Houston Astros have benefited from, and has one mean mug on autopilot to always intimidate opposing players to boot.
But as seen in the image above, teammate George Springer doesn’t seem to be fazed by Gattis. Careful though, George-y, you don’t want to poke the big, white bear with that ear-to-ear smirk of yours, for you might just find yourself helplessly yelling out “Spumoni!” from the dugout later on.
3. Jason Motte
Man, how can you not help but feel good after seeing that shot of Chicago’s Jason Motte above? He’s even got that extra hedge on his chin to give his winning smile an extra accent.
However, the Cubs could’ve made use of Motte’s arm instead of his mane in the playoffs, as the team just got swept by the Mets in the NLCS.
2. Jake Arrieta
Speaking of those Cubs, no other player from the club stole the spotlight in the second half of the regular season onwards than Jake Arrieta and his pointy facial shrub.
But just like Motte, rockin’ a wicked beard did little to break Chicago’s World Series curse. In fact, Arrieta even had his worst moments this year when it mattered the most: the ALDS and ALCS. Don’t worry Jake, we placed you high enough on this here countdown. Just don’t take it personally when we say that – like your team – you were soooo close to topping this list, but still no cigar. (Sorry for the cheap shot as well, Cubs fans.)
1. Dallas Keuchel
That’s it… Game over.
Nothing can beat that pic of two superb professional athletes of different sports – playing for the same city all the more – literally nearly standing neck-and-neckbeard in arms with their massive facial overgrowths for a glorious, unifying moment.
Houston’s Dallas Keuchel (hope you didn’t get lost there for a second with two-straight Lone Star cities being mentioned in succession) has been the Astros’ ace this season, and has even been very vocal about his crowning a-chin-ment. However, like most of the scruffy lumberjacks here (including you, James Harden!), Keuchel fell short of taking his team to the Promised Land.
Maybe sporting a playoff beard has indeed lost its magic over the years given the number of players partaking in the superstition. Nevertheless, seeing grown men doing crazy things like this is what adds to the wonderful tapestry of professional sports.
Never change and never shaved, bearded gents. Never change and never shave.
You don’t really need a sweet playoff beard to win big; create a betting account now to put your sheer mettle to the test with just your own stellar predictions.
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