It isn’t often that a Yankees player is underrated, but that’s the case when it comes to Masahiro Tanaka and his postseason resume.
The fact that Masahiro Tanaka helped the New York Yankees even their ALDS series against the Red Sox really shouldn’t have surprised anyone. Postseason success is the norm for the Japanese veteran. Interestingly enough, not many people seem to know that about the Yankees star.
It’s not that Tanaka is a bad regular season pitcher. He was one of Aaron Boone’s most consistent starters this season. The Yankees would gladly accept an ERA of 3.75 in 27 starts from the right-hander on a regular basis.
His consistency during the grind of the regular season isn’t why New York handed Tanaka a big money contract, though. Instead, they placed a premium on how he can perform when the pressure is really on he and his teammates. In terms of postseason performance, the Yankees have acquired a bargain in Tanaka.
His ERA in the postseason tumbles down to 1.50. That sort of mark during the regular season would easily win Tanaka Cy Young awards. They don’t give the same sort of honor out for the postseason, but if they did, Tanaka would need to make room in his trophy case.
Those are some pretty good names, just sayin'. #ALDS #Yankees pic.twitter.com/O4oqOgjEPF
— YES Network (@YESNetwork) October 7, 2018
That miniscule ERA also puts Tanaka in pretty select company. Whenever you name appears on the same list as Sandy Koufax and Christy Mathewson, you know you’re doing something right. The amazing thing is how Tanaka has achieved this feat with so little fanfare. Almost no one in the team’s fan base or media makes it a point to compliment the pitcher for his October success. Expect that to change if he can add a World Series title to his list of accomplishments.
It’s pretty easy to understand why Tanaka’s performance improves in the postseason. He’s got excellent stuff, but he needs to really focus on every pitch if he’s going to be at his best. When his focus wanders, he’s too susceptible to the home run ball. It’s impossible to stay locked in for every pitch of the regular season.
When the postseason arrives, Tanaka’s focus on every pitch is heightened. That makes his split fingered fastball just a little sharper. That slight improvement is often the difference between a strikeout and a home run. The margins for Tanaka are very fine, and he makes sure to fall on the right side of that fence when October arrives.
Tanaka has already given the Yankees one good start this month, and the team certainly hopes he’ll get a chance to make a couple more. Every time he goes to the mound for his team in October, the Yankees have a great chance of getting an exemplary outing from their postseason ace.