New York Yankees: Masahiro Tanaka making case as greatest postseason pitcher

New York Yankees starting pitcher Masahiro Tanaka’s career postseason performance has been nothing short of phenomenal. Is he the best starting pitcher in postseason history? In short, it’s too early to tell, but he could be. 

Before Masahiro Tanaka came over to the MLB, he had already established himself as a postseason legend in Japan. In his last season in Japan, he went 30-1, with his only loss coming in a 160 pitch complete game in Game 6 of the Japan Series. However, he earned the save in Game 7 to secure the title for Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles.

When the New York Yankees signed Tanaka in 2014, they hoped for much of the same postseason success. However, nobody expected him to be this good.

Following his six inning, one-hit shutout win against the Houston Astros in Game 1 of the ALCS, Tanaka entered historical territory. He became the first pitcher in MLB history to allow two or fewer runs in his first seven postseason starts. In 41 innings pitched, he has a 1.32 ERA and 0.732 WHIP. His WHIP is the best in MLB postseason history among qualified pitchers. The only Yankee pitcher who has a lower postseason ERA is unanimous Hall of Famer, Mariano Rivera.

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So, Tanaka’s postseason career has been undeniably extraordinary so far. But is it enough to anoint him the best starting pitcher in postseason history?

Let’s take a step back first.

Tanaka has been incredible, yes, but he still has a relatively small sample size. His 41 innings pitched are still less than Madison Bumgarner’s 52.2 historic postseason performance in 2014. In fact, five other players have tossed more playoff innings in a single season, including the likes of Curt Schilling, Orel Hershiser, and Randy Johnson.

Bumgarner’s crazy postseason numbers compare to Tanaka. In 16 postseason games, Bumgarner has an 8-3 record with a dazzling 2.11 ERA and 0.899 WHIP. He tossed 21 innings in the 2014 World Series, where he won Game 1 and 5, while picking up the save in Game 7 to lock down the title, much like Tanaka did in Japan in 2013.

Fellow Yankee legend Andy Pettitte is considered one of the best postseason performers of all time. Pettitte holds the all-time playoff records in wins (19) and innings pitched (276.2) in 44 starts.

Most importantly, the one thing that all these pitchers have over Tanaka are World Series championships. Bumgarner won three with the Giants, Schilling won three with the Diamondbacks and Red Sox, and Pettitte won five with the Yankees.

Thus, Tanaka has yet to prove himself on the biggest stage: the World Series. However, the Yankees appear to be on a mission to win their 28th World Series title. If Tanaka can continue his postseason dominance and lead the New York Yankees to a championship, there is no reason to exclude Tanaka from the conversation.

However, there is plenty of October baseball left to be played. Everything can change for Tanaka in an instant. But so far, Tanaka has proven that he is someone who is not phased by the moment. He is not the best postseason pitcher of all time- yet. But when it is all said and done, he very well could be.