The offensive renaissance of Alex Rodriguez continued on Saturday, with the New York Yankees designated hitter bombing a two-run home run against Bud Norris of the Orioles in the sixth inning on Saturday at Camden Yards, becoming just the fourth player in major league history to reach 2,000 runs batted in.
Alex Rodriguez becomes 4th MLB player in history with 2,000 RBI
Rodriguez is 1-for-3 so far on Saturday, with his two-run shot tying the game at 4-4. It was his 666th home run and gave him 2,001 RBI.
He is only five hits shy of 3,000 in his career.
In baseball history, the only three players to drive in more runs than Rodriguez are Hank Aaron (2,297 RBI), Babe Ruth (2,214) and Cap Anson (2,075). Rodriguez earlier this season already passed Lou Gehrig (1,995 RBI) and Barry Bonds (1,996) on the all-time list.
Rodriguez, who turns 40 on July 27, is also fourth on the all-time home run list, passing Willie Mays with his 661st career home run earlier this season, on May 7.
Rodriguez is hitting .276/.375/.517 with 12 home runs and 32 RBI in 58 games. It is a welcome surprise for someone who was limited by hip surgery to just 44 games in 2013 and was suspended for all of 2014 for violating the league’s performance-enhancing drug policy.
But this season, a productive Rodriguez has been a welcome addition to the Yankees, who are in first place in the American League East.
“If he was healthy, I’ve always said he’d be a good asset, and he’s been a great asset. He’s been playing well, and he’s been producing,” Yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner said of Rodriguez in May at the MLB owners meetings, per the Associated Press. “Nobody was working harder in the offseason than him. He came to spring training in shape, and so far, so good.”
In his career, Rodriguez drove in 595 runs in seven years with the Seattle Mariners, 395 runs in three years with the Texas Rangers, and has 1,011 RBI in 11 years with the Yankees.
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