Editing Alex Rodriguez (section)

====2005–2006====
In 2005, Rodriguez hit .321, leading the American League with 124 runs and 48 home runs while driving in 130 runs.<ref name="b-r" /> He became the first Yankee to win the American League home run title since [[Reggie Jackson]] (41) in 1980. He also became one of only two players in Major League history to compile at least 35 home runs, 100 runs and 100 RBIs in eight consecutive seasons (Jimmie Foxx accomplished the feat in nine straight seasons from 1932 to 1940). Rodriguez established the franchise record for most home runs in a single season by a right-handed batter (broke [[Joe DiMaggio]]'s mark of 46 in 1937). His 47 home runs from the third base position are a single-season American League record. Rodriguez hit 26 home runs at [[Yankee Stadium (1923)|Yankee Stadium]] in 2005, establishing the single-season club record for right-handed batters (previously held by DiMaggio in 1937 and [[Gary Sheffield]] in 2004). On June 8, at 29 years, 316 days old, he became the youngest player in MLB history to reach the 400 home run mark. 2005 also marked the tenth straight season that Rodriguez scored at least 100 runs. On defense, however, he had the lowest range factor in the league at third for the second straight season (2.62).<ref>{{cite web|title=MLB Player Fielding Stats – As 3b – 2005|url=https://www.espn.com/mlb/stats/fielding/_/year/2005/position/3b/league/al/sort/rangeFactor/order/true|access-date=May 30, 2010|website=[[ESPN]]|publisher=}}</ref>

On April 26, Rodriguez hit three home runs off [[2005 Los Angeles Angels season|Angels]] pitcher [[Bartolo Colón]] and drove in 10 runs. The 10 RBIs were the most by a Yankee since [[Tony Lazzeri]] established the franchise and American League record with 11 on May 24, 1936. Rodriguez became the 11th major leaguer to accomplish the feat.<ref>{{cite news|date=April 26, 2005|title=A-Rod is just 11th big-leaguer with 10 or more RBI in one game|url=http://scores.espn.go.com/mlb/recap?gameId=250426110|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121113202952/http://scores.espn.go.com/mlb/recap?gameId=250426110|archive-date=November 13, 2012|access-date=January 30, 2019|work=[[ESPN]]|agency=[[Associated Press]]}}</ref>

Rodriguez won his second [[American League MVP|AL MVP]] Award in three seasons, becoming the fifth player to win this award with two different teams, joining [[Mickey Cochrane]], Jimmie Foxx, [[Frank Robinson]] and Barry Bonds. He also became the first AL player from outside the [[American League West]] to win the award since [[Mo Vaughn]] of the [[1995 Boston Red Sox season|Boston Red Sox]] won in 1995. Rodriguez was also named the shortstop on the Major League Baseball [[Latino Legends Team]] in 2005.

[[File:Alex Rodriguez Talking.jpg|right|thumb|upright|Rodriguez reacting to a called strike in a game against Tampa Bay]]
Prior to the season, Rodriguez opted to play for [[United States national baseball team|Team USA]] in the [[2006 World Baseball Classic]].<ref name=espn20060107>{{cite web |url=https://www.espn.com/mlb/worldclassic2006/news/story?id=2295141 |title=A-Rod will play for U.S. in World Baseball Classic |work=ESPN |agency=Associated Press |date=January 17, 2006 |access-date=June 8, 2023}}</ref>

Rodriguez was again an [[2006 Major League Baseball All-Star Game|All-Star]] in 2006. His 2,000th hit, on July 21, 2006 − six days prior to his 31st birthday − was also his 450th home run. Rodriguez became the youngest player in baseball history to reach 450 home runs (surpassing [[Ken Griffey Jr.]], by 267 days), and the eighth player to reach 2,000 hits before turning 31. [[Ty Cobb]] reached the mark while still 29, while [[Rogers Hornsby]], [[Mel Ott]], [[Hank Aaron]], [[Joe Medwick]], Jimmie Foxx, and [[Robin Yount]] all achieved their 2,000th hit at age 30. All seven are members of baseball's [[National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum|Hall of Fame]].

For the season, Rodriguez finished fourth in the league in RBI (121), fifth in runs scored (113), eighth in home runs (35) and walks (90), and ninth in OBP (.392). He also led all AL third basemen in errors, with 24, and had the lowest fielding percentage (.937) and—for the third straight season—range factor (2.50) among them.<ref name="b-r" /> Rodriguez also became the second player in Major League history to record at least 35 home runs, 100 runs, and 100 RBIs in nine consecutive seasons, joining Foxx. It was Rodriguez's 11th consecutive season with more than 100 runs scored, the longest such streak in American League history since [[Lou Gehrig]] did so in 13 straight seasons (1926–38). Despite this success, it was perceived as one of his lesser-accomplished seasons and was harshly criticized throughout the 2006 season. He has commented that 2006 was his most difficult season as a professional.<ref>{{cite news|last=Kepner|first=Tyler|date=November 16, 2006|title=Rodriguez says he's committed to Yankees|work=[[The New York Times]]|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2006/11/16/sports/baseball/16arod.html|access-date=November 16, 2006}}</ref>