There is a Seattle Mariners pitcher who’s appeared in nine postseason games without allowing a run or even a hit.

It’s probably not a name most would think of, but Caleb Ferguson has shined during his chances to pitch in the playoffs.

Why Rowland-Smith says Polanco will be Seattle Mariners’ X-factor in playoffs

The left-hander was acquired by the M’s before the trade deadline. With Josh Naylor and Eugenio Suárez also joining the club via trade, the deal for Ferguson was overshadowed. But the postseason may be the time he brings his greatest value to the ballclub – and that could come to fruition rather quickly.

Ferguson has been lights out against left-handed batters this season. They’re hitting just .184 with a .465 OPS and have just two-extra base hits and no home runs in 115 plate appearances.

With a matchup against either the Detroit Tigers or the Cleveland Guardians in the American League Division Series, Ferguson’s presence as a second southpaw out of the bullpen behind Gabe Speier is of great value to the AL West-champion Mariners.

If Detroit ends up as the opponent, Seattle will have to deal with the dangerous left-handed bats of Riley Greene and Kerry Carpenter, who both run fairly drastic platoon splits.

Greene hit a team-high 36 homers this year, 31 of which came against right-handed pitching. His .886 OPS against right-handers was .246 points higher that against southpaws.

Carpenter has feasted on the Mariners’ right-handed heavy pitching staff in his four big-league seasons, sporting a career .375 average, 1.290 OPS and six homers in 11 games. Carpenter has hit 23 of his 26 home runs this season against right-handers, and his .812 OPS against them is 174 points higher than against left-handed pitching.

For past Mariners teams that notably lacked more than one quality left-handed pitching option (nobody needs a reminder of what happened in the 2022 ALDS), the Greene-Carpenter duo could force difficult situations.

If either were due up in a high-leverage spot early or before the seventh inning with the starter already out, Seattle would have to decide if burning its only southpaw was worth it. But this year’s team could turn to Ferguson and know it still has Speier available, or vice versa. It’s a bit of a niche value, but any edge a team can get in the playoffs is notable.

Now if Cleveland was to make it to the ALDS, Ferguson giving Seattle two left-handed relievers carries just as much value and perhaps a little more.

The Guardians have a bottom-three offense in the league in many categories, and they’ve been at their worst against southpaws with a .223 batting average and meager 81 wRC+ as a team.

Two of Cleveland’s top-three home run hitters, Kyle Manzardo and Bo Naylor, are left-handed bats with heavy platoon splits. And the always-pesky Steven Kwan, another left-handed bat, has had his share of struggles against southpaws this year, too, posting a career-worst .581 OPS against them.

Teams run their high-leverage arms out as much as possible in the playoffs. So, there’s a chance Ferguson may not be called upon all that often in October since Speier, Andrés Muñoz, Matt Brash and Eduard Bazardo are the team’s clear backend arms. Plus, one of their five starters (likely Bryce Miller) will another option.

But at the very least, Ferguson gives the club a chess piece in the bullpen it lacked in past years, and a reason for other teams to feel less comfortable stacking their lineups with left-handed bats.

More Seattle Mariners playoffs coverage

• Morosi: Why Tigers pose bigger threat to Seattle Mariners in ALDS
• How the Seattle Mariners are approaching ALDS roster construction
• Seattle Mariners taxi squad for playoffs includes their top prospect
• A closer look at Seattle Mariners’ potential ALDS opponents
• ‘Ready to compete’: Julio looks forward to Mariners’ playoff run