Alex Rodriguez has been a mainstay in the middle of the lineup for his entire career, lengthening orders and delivering fatal blows to opposing teams. From his days in Seattle to his days in the Bronx, A-Rod has been the model of consistency. You could pencil him in for at least 30 home runs and 100 RBI every single season. It’s only been recently that injuries have slowed him down. His production is not what it was 10 years ago, but it is still very valuable to the team. He no longer is THE guy, but  is another part of the puzzle in a potent lineup. A-Rod adds depth to the Yankees order, and without him, pitchers have to deal with one less threat. After all, A-Rod is a three-time MVP.
So far this season, Alex is hitting a pedestrian .265 with 11 homers and 32 RBI. With a hot streak here and there and good health, A-Rod will approach the 30 and 100 mark again before the season is over. He’s had some amazing at-bats this year, some of which ended in success, others not so much. Yesterday he failed to come through in a clutch situation in a game the Yankees ultimately lost 10-5. He did connect on his 11th home run, as he continues to move up the all-time home run list. A-Rod has received a lot of criticism, both in the past and this season from people complaining about his lack of power or MVP like production (myself included). However, the numbers don’t lie when A-Rod is in the lineup.
Coming into yesterdays game, the Yankees were an amazing 18-0 in games when A-Rod drives in a run. Now obviously they lost and A-Rod had one RBI, but the fact is is that  it seems as if as A-Rod goes, so do the Yankees. Look back to 2009. The team wasn’t playing up to its potential, A-Rod was coming off offseason hip surgery and steroid allegations. He came back on that night in Baltimore – first pitch, first swing, home run, and the Yankees were on their way. There is no way the Yankees win the World Series that year without him. Whether you like him or not, theres no arguing that he may be the most important piece in the Yankees lineup, even though Robinson Cano has taken over the role as the best pure hitter on the team. If A-Rod can stay healthy and can play in 135-145 games, theres no reason to believe he won’t produce for the team. Look for a few hot streaks from Alex as summer gets rolling.
