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You'd be hard-pressed finding a more clutch player than Greinke. His efforts include back-to-back, complete-game victories -- one, against the hard-hitting Rangers in Texas, and two, against the division rival Tigers. Before his final start of April, the only run against him scored on a shortstop's error. Greinke is the first pitcher in Major League history to post an ERA of 0.00 while recording at least 36 Ks in his first four outings. All told, the 25-year-old righty went 5-0 with a 0.50 ERA and an AL-leading 44 strikeouts, emerging as a bona fide ace for Kansas City.

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Melky Cabrera has become a trusted face in pressurized situations, coming through when the Yankees need it most. The center fielder's three walk-off hits this season are the most by a Yankee in a single season since Claudell Washington, who had four in 1988, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. Two of those three walk-off hits came in May. On May 15, Cabrera came through with a two-out, bases-loaded single off Twins closer Joe Nathan in the ninth inning. Nine days later on May 23, Cabrera rose to the occasion again, connecting on a game-winning single to topple Phillies closer Brad Lidge in a 5-4 decision. All in all during May, Cabrera sported a .556 average in close and late situations and a .381 mark with runners in scoring position.

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Tim Lincecum of the San Francisco Giants was selected by fans in an online vote as the winner of the "Major League Baseball Clutch Performer of the Month Presented by Pepsi" for June. In 48.2 innings pitched, he allowed eight earned runs on 35 hits with nine walks and 48 strikeouts. The 25-year-old right-hander collected at least seven strikeouts in five of his six starts and pitched 7.1 innings-or-more in five starts. Lincecum, who was selected to his second All-Star Game earlier this week, tossed an eight-strikeout shutout on June 12th vs. Oakland, a 12-strikeout performance on June 23rd at Oakland, and a two-hit shutout with eight strikeouts on June 29th at St. Louis. With the two-hitter, the reigning N.L. Cy Young Award winner set a new career-best for a complete game, surpassing a four-hit complete game on September 13, 2008. In addition, the Bellevue, Washington native became the first Giants pitcher to hurl three complete games in a four-game span since Jason Schmidt accomplished the feat in June 2003.

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For a pitcher, it's the most clutch performance of all: the perfect game.

Buehrle retired 27 Rays in order July 23 to deliver the 18th perfecto in baseball history, vaulting himself into the record books and energizing a White Sox team in the midst of a pennant race.

The All-Star southpaw fanned six in the effort to improve to 11-3, five days after holding the Orioles to just one run over 7 1/3 strong innings, and nine days after tossing perfect frame in the Midsummer Classic.

Overall for the month, Buehrle racked up four wins and 18 strikeouts against just three walks in 41 1/3 innings while holding the opposition to a paltry .238 average.

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In 24 games during August, Matsui hit .281 (25-89) with eight home runs and 25 RBI. The 35-year-old added three doubles and 16 runs scored while posting a .584 slugging percentage. Hideki collected eight multi-hit games, including three consecutive two-hit games on August 23rd at Fenway Park in Boston, and August 25th-26th against Texas at Yankee Stadium. On August 13th at Seattle, Matsui went 4-for-5 with two home runs, five RBI and four runs scored in an 11-1 Yankees win. The left-handed hitting slugger collected two homers and a career-best seven RBI on August 21st in a 20-11 at Boston, and added another multi-homer performance against the Red Sox just two days later. Matsui hit .333 (12-36) with six homers, 18 RBI and 10 runs scored over an eight game stretch from August 13th-25th, becoming the first Yankee with at least 12 hits, six homers and 18 RBI over an eight-game span since Don Mattingly from July 8-18, 1987. In addition, the two-time All-Star had three multi-homer games on the road trip from August 13th-23rd, joining Mickey Mantle (1966) as the only two players in franchise history to have at least three multi-homer games on a road trip. On the season, Matsui is batting .269 with 23 home runs and 76 RBI.

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Still trying to figure out how the Twins made that September surge up the win column? Look no further than the work of Cuddyer.

The unsung hero picked up the slack for injured slugger Justin Morneau, powering the club with eight homers and 24 RBIs in September and leading the Twins to the American League Central Division crown.

The right-handed-hitting veteran also came up big with the game on the line, batting a robust .370 with 16 RBIs over 27 at-bats with runners in scoring position.

Batting champ Joe Mauer might be the one getting the headlines and the offseason hardware in Minnesota this year, but Cuddyer's late contributions can't be ignored.

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