Cole trying to join list of great postseasons on mound

Even on a team with three stars in the starting rotation, Gerrit Cole has stood out in these playoffs.

The 29-year-old right-hander won twice for Houston in the AL Division Series, allowing only one run in 15 2/3 innings. He'll take the mound Tuesday in Game 3 of the AL Championship Series against the New York Yankees, and if the Astros keep advancing, Cole could be well on his way to becoming the latest postseason pitching sensation.

If that happens, he'll join an illustrious group. A great postseason (or two) can turn a journeyman into a household name — and an ace into a legend.

Here are the five different types of dominant postseason pitchers — the men who have made their mark from the mound:

THE STARS

The cream of the crop. These are the pitchers who delivered some of the most memorable postseason moments in baseball history. They are workhorse starters who were great for at least one terrific postseason run — and often more than that.

Madison Bumgarner won LCS and World Series MVP honors in 2014, finishing that postseason with four wins, 52 2/3 innings and a memorable five-inning save in Game 7 of the World Series for the Giants. Jack Morris went 3-0 during Detroit's 1984 title run, then pitched a 10-inning shutout in Game 7 of the '91 series for Minnesota. Curt Schilling led Arizona to the title in 2001, then pitched through injury troubles when Boston broke its long championship drought three years later.

Justin Verlander pitched 17 scoreless innings for Detroit over the course of two decisive Game 5s in the ALDS, in 2012 and 2013 against Oakland.

The expanded playoffs have given these standouts more chances to shine, but even before divisional play, there were some remarkable performances. Sandy Koufax had a 0.95 ERA in eight World Series games and was...

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