Crazy Masahiro Tanaka Stat Proves He's Yankees' Best Option in the Postseason

Masahiro Tanaka delivered an absolute gem for the Yankees in Game 1 of the ALCS against the Houston Astros. I mean, the man shut out one of the most potent lineups in baseball, one-hitting the AL West champs over six innings, leading the Yankees to a 7-0 win.

His performance was so dominant, in fact, that it allowed him to join the all-time upper echelons of postseason pitchers.

That's right: Tanaka is the first pitcher in baseball history to allow no more than two runs in his first seven playoff starts. Talk about rising to the occasion, right?

Tanaka went six innings, throwing only 68 pitches with four strikeouts. That's the definition of efficiency in baseball, and it seems like he could've definitely gone another three, although with the best bullpen in all of baseball, six innings was more than enough to get the job done.

Manager Aaron Boone turned a couple of heads earlier this week when he announced that Tanaka would be starting Game 1 in Houston rather than James Paxton, who started the first game of the ALDS. However, Boone proved to be correct in his decision making as Tanaka set the tone for the ALCS and delivered the Yankees a much-needed win on the road.

Tanaka's proven time after time that he's the Yankees' best starter in the postseason, and this gem solidifies that sentiment.

With Paxton slated to start Game 2 tonight in Houston, we'll soon get to see if he can match Tanaka's dominant Game 1 performance. If he does, the Yankees will be heading back to New York with a 2-0 ALCS lead under their belt and in prime position to head to their first World Series since 2009.