MVP Profile: Alex Rodriguez, 2007

Third Baseman, New York Yankees

Age:  32 (July 27)

4^th season with Yankees

Bats – Right, Throws – Right

Height: 6’3”    Weight: 230 

Prior to 2007:

Rodriguez was born in New York City to Dominican parents who returned to Santo Domingo when he was four. The family returned to the US a few years later, this time in Miami where Rodriguez played youth league baseball. At Westminster Christian High School, he excelled in football and basketball, as well as baseball. The Seattle Mariners made him the first overall pick in the 1993 amateur draft and he signed for a $1.3 million bonus. The 18-year-old Rodriguez was first assigned to Appleton of the Class A Midwest League in 1994 where he batted .319 in 65 games and was promoted to the Jacksonville Suns of the Class AA Southern League. He played in 17 games at Class AA and was promoted to the Mariners in July. Overmatched in his first exposure to the big leagues, Rodriguez was sent to the Calgary Cannons of the Class AAA Pacific Coast League where he hit .311 in 32 games with 6 home runs and 21 RBIs. Following a winter of play in the Dominican Republic, Rodriguez was assigned to Tacoma of the PCL in 1995. He moved back-and-forth between Tacoma and the Mariners during the season and by August he was back with Seattle full-time. In Class AAA he batted .360 in 54 games with 15 home runs and 45 RBIs and in 48 appearances with the Mariners he hit .232 with 5 home runs and 19 RBIs. Rodriguez became the starting shortstop in 1996 and led the AL in runs scored (141), doubles (54), batting (.358), and total bases (379) in addition to compiling 36 home runs and 123 RBIs. The player known as “A-Rod” also was an All-Star for the first time, was awarded a Silver Slugger, finished second in league MVP voting by a narrow margin, and was named MLB Player of the Year by The Sporting News. Rodriguez started strong in 1997 but, bothered by a chest injury, overall, his numbers dropped to a .300 average with 23 home runs and 84 RBIs. In the field he led all AL shortstops by committing 24 errors. He started at shortstop for the AL in the All-Star Game. In 1998 “A-Rod” batted .310 with a league-leading 213 hits as well as 42 home runs, 124 RBIs, and 46 stolen bases. He also topped all AL shortstops with 731 total chances and ranked second with 268 put outs and 445 assists. In 1999, Rodriguez suffered a knee injury that required surgery early in the season and ended up hitting .285 in 129 games with 42 home runs and 111 RBIs. With center fielder Ken Griffey, Jr. gone in 2000, “A-Rod” became the key player in Seattle’s lineup and batted .316 with 41 home runs and 132 RBIs. He finished third in AL MVP balloting. A free agent in the offseason, Rodriguez signed a 10-year, $252 million contract with the Texas Rangers. He had an outstanding season with a losing team in 2001, hitting .318 with a league-leading 133 runs scored and 52 home runs, plus 135 RBIs. He also led all AL shortstops with 279 put outs and finished sixth in league MVP voting. “A-Rod” placed second for AL MVP in 2002 after batting .300 with 57 home runs and 142 RBIs. He also received a Gold Glove for outstanding play in the field. In 2003 he hit .298 and led the league in runs scored (124), home runs (47), and slugging (.600), while also compiling 181 hits, 118 RBIs, and a .396 OBP. In the offseason, “A-Rod” was traded to the Yankees for power-hitting second baseman Alfonso Soriano. Shifted to third base due to the presence of Derek Jeter at shortstop, Rodriguez adjusted well in the field and at the plate batted .286 in 2004 with 36 home runs and 106 RBIs. New York won the AL East and “A-Rod” hit well in the ALDS triumph over the Twins. The Yanks lost the ALCS to the Boston Red Sox despite breaking out to a 3 games-to-0 lead and Rodriguez was part of the collapse, managing only two hits in his last 17 at bats. He had a second MVP season in 2005, batting .321 with 130 RBIs and a league-leading 48 home runs and .610 slugging percentage. The Yanks narrowly topped the AL East but lost to the Angels in the ALDS as Rodriguez again took criticism for hitting just .133 in the five games. Rodriguez had another strong performance in 2006, batting .290 with 35 home runs and 121 RBIs. He and the Yankees again came up short in the postseason.

2007 Season Summary

Appeared in 158 games

3B – 154, DH – 4

[Bracketed numbers indicate AL rank in Top 20]

Batting

Plate Appearances – 708 [7]

At Bats – 583

Runs – 143 [1]

Hits – 183 [15]

Doubles – 31

Triples – 0

Home Runs – 54 [1]

RBI – 156 [1]

Bases on Balls – 95 [7, tied with Jim Thome]

Int. BB – 11 [8, tied with Jim Thome, Justin Morneau & Sean Casey]

Strikeouts – 120 [17]

Stolen Bases – 24 [14]

Caught Stealing – 4

Average - .314 [13, tied with Jose Vidro]

OBP - .422 [4]

Slugging Pct. - .645 [1]

Total Bases – 376 [1]

GDP – 15

Hit by Pitches – 21 [2]

Sac Hits – 0

Sac Flies – 9 [4, tied with Nick Swisher, Justin Morneau & Melky Cabrera]

League-leading runs scored were +20 ahead of runner-up Bobby Abreu

League-leading home runs were +8 ahead of runner-up Carlos Pena

League-leading RBIs were +17 ahead of runner-up Magglio Ordonez

League-leading slugging percentage was +.018 ahead of runner-up Carlos Pena

League-leading total bases were +22 ahead of runner-up Magglio Ordonez

Midseason snapshot: HR – 30, RBI – 86, AVG - .316, SLG – .663, OBP – .412

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Most hits, game – 4 on five occasions

Longest hitting streak – 18 games

HR at home – 26

HR on road – 28

Most home runs, game – 2 on eight occasions

Multi-HR games – 8

Most RBIs, game – 6 vs. Baltimore 4/7

Pinch-hitting – No appearances

Fielding

Chances – 370

Put Outs – 106

Assists – 251

Errors – 13

DP – 30

Pct. - .965 

Postseason Batting: 4 G (ALDS vs. Cleveland)

PA – 17, AB – 15, R – 2, H – 4, 2B – 0,3B – 0, HR – 1, RBI – 1, BB – 2, IBB – 1, SO – 6, SB – 0, CS – 0, AVG - .267, OBP - .353, SLG -.467, TB – 7, GDP – 0, HBP – 0, SH – 0, SF – 0

Awards & Honors:

AL MVP: BBWAA

MLB Player of the Year: Sporting News

AL Hank Aaron Award: MLB

Silver Slugger

All-Star (started for AL at 3B)

Top 5 in AL MVP Voting:

Alex Rodriguez, NYY.: 382 points - 26 of 28 first place votes, 97% share

Magglio Ordonez, Det.: 258 points – 2 first place votes, 66% share

Vladimir Guerrero, LAA: 203 points – 52% share

David Ortiz, Bos.: 177 points – 45% share

Mike Lowell, Bos.: 126 points – 32% share

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The Yankees went 94-68 to finish second in the AL Eastern Division, 2 games behind the division-winning Boston Red Sox and qualified for a wild card spot in the postseason while leading the league in runs scored (968), hits (1656), home runs (201), RBIs (929), batting (.290), OBP (.366), slugging (.463), and total bases (2649). After enduring a 21-29 start that had them 14.5 games out of first place in the AL East on May 29, the Yankees rallied behind a strong offense led by Rodriguez and effective pitching to climb into contention and claim the wild card spot in the playoffs. Lost ALDS to the Cleveland Indians, 3 games to 1.

Aftermath of 2007:

Following the season, “A-Rod” chose to exercise an opt-out clause in his contract but then re-signed with the Yankees for $270 million over 10 years. Rodriguez encountered injury problems in 2008, as well as off-field controversy. He ended up producing solidly (35 home runs, 103 RBIs, .302 average) while leading the AL in slugging (.573). Surgery for a hip condition limited Rodriguez to 124 games in 2009, with his production dropping to 30 home runs, 100 RBIs, a .286 batting average, a .402 OBP, and a .586 slugging percentage. He played well in the postseason as the Yankees reached the World Series and defeated the Phillies. In 2010 “A-Rod” reached the 600-home run milestone during a season in which he batted .270 with 30 home runs and 125 RBIs. A knee injury that required arthroscopic surgery limited him to 99 games in 2011 as well as 16 home runs and 62 RBIs. Following another injury-plagued season in 2012, Rodriguez underwent further hip surgery in 2013. After a minor league rehabilitation assignment, he joined the Yankees in August facing a suspension by major league baseball for his use of performance-enhancing drugs and his related involvement with the Biogenesis scandal. He ended up appearing in just 44 major league games with 7 home runs and 19 RBIs. He was suspended for the entire 2014 season. Reinstated in 2015, Rodriguez played in 151 games, primarily as a Designated Hitter, and hit .250 with 33 home runs and 86 RBIs. He played one last season in 2016. Overall, for his career, “A-Rod” batted .295 with 3115 hits that included 548 doubles, 31 triples, and 696 home runs. He also struck out 2287 times and compiled 2086 RBIs and 329 stolen bases. Often criticized for a lack of postseason production, he appeared in 76 postseason games and hit .259 with 13 home runs and 41 RBIs. In addition to being a three-time AL MVP, Rodriguez was a 14-time All-Star (five with the Yankees) and won two Gold Gloves and 10 Silver Slugger Awards. 

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MVP Profiles feature players in the National or American leagues who were winners of the Chalmers Award (1911-14), League Award (1922-29), or Baseball Writers’ Association of America Award (1931 to present) as Most Valuable Player.