A-Rod, the playoffs, and small sample sizes

October 12, 2009 by Mike Axisa 14 Comments

Critics of Alex Rodriguez took much enjoyment in pointing to his substandard postseason stats, noting that he hit just .159 in his last three postseason series prior to this year’s ALDS. However, as Jack Moore shows at FanGraphs writes, sometimes the sample size just isn’t big enough to conclude someone sucks in the postseason. At the same time, we must also acknowledge that one scorching hot series doesn’t mean someone’s got the monkey off their back and has transformed into a payoff god. I’m not going to bet against him, are you?

JG

A-rod just seems more relaxed at the plate and is looking to drive the ball. I also find it encouraging that both his homeruns have been to right center/
ARX

A-Rod sucked in the playoffs for 3 years.
That doesn’t mean one good series changes, minimizes or erases that.
It doesnt mean you can use it to project into the future and boldly declare he’ll never succecd.
It just means
…
…
…that A-rod sucked in three ALDS series’. So why can’t fans/media just leave it at that and concentrate on the here and now?
- http://www.puristbleedspinstripes.com Rebecca-Optimist Prime
  
  because where’s the fun in that?
Will

It’s true that one bad series or good series isn’t definitive, but Arod’s post season record is much more extensive than that. As much as many would like to pretend that Arod’s postseasons before the 2005 ALDS don’t exist, it can’t erase the fact that Arod has a .900 OPS in 182 post season PAs (.836 in the ALDS and 1.024 in the ALCS).
pat

Statistical correction plz.
Mike bk

well the twins monkey was never on his back since he destroyed them before the slump as well so time to knock the alcs (w the yanks) and angels monkey off all at once, which will get him to his first world series.
- Will
  
  There is no ALCS monkey with the Yankees. In the 2004 ALCS he had an .895 OPS with 8 runs, 2HRs and 5 RBIs. I guess you could say he has an Angels’ monkey, but the reality of that series is Anaheim simply refused to pitch to him, which would explain the .435 OBP despite a .133 Batting Average. The only series in which Arod was really awful was the 2006 ALDS against Detroit, but most of the lineup did poorly in that one.
  - Usty
    
    Excactly. That Anaheim series, when he was our 2 hitter, they simply would not let him beat them.
Salty Buggah

I hope he continues his run into a Reggie Jackson-type playoff rejuvenation.
http://www.twitter.com/di4tc DI4TC

And of course its amplified by the fact that one of those post season melt downs occured after an MVP season, and then he opted out.
- Will
  
  Arod’s 2007 ALDS line was .267/.353./.467. Not great, but far from a melt down. In that same series, Posada had an OPS of .453, Jeter’s was .353, Giambi checked in at .500 and Matsui at .619. In other words, Arod was not the problem.
  
  The bottom line is the myth of Arod being a post season choker is exactly that. It has always been founded on and fueled by misinformation.
Bo

If one post seasons series doesnt get the monkey off the back how many does it take?

He proved he can be clutch in the post season. The monkey is off.
Sarah

He proved himself as most true fans knew he would!
Thanks A Rod. <3
anthony

A-Rod looks great at the plate the difference this season is the type of hits that he is getting two game tying homeruns and a couple of rbi hits with two outs he has really came through in the clutch when people have been saying he can’t hit under pressure in the post season expect more of the same the rest of the post season from Alex Go Yanks!