MLB Playoffs 2011: Alexi Ogando's Path to Postseason Dominance

Alexi Ogando has allowed one run in 10 and a third innings playing at what is essentially his second position as a relief pitcher this season.

Wait a minute, what do I mean by his second position?

Although this is becoming more and more common, Ogando is one of the few players who began his career as an outfielder in the Oakland Athletics organization. I remember reading about him in the "Baseball America Prospect Handbook" and learning that he had so many tools in the outfield. At that point, I remember thinking that with the combination of power and speed that he reportedly had, he could definitely be a force in the outfield in the relatively near future.

However, once he moved to the Texas Rangers he quickly flipped over to a relief pitcher and simply dominated the minor leagues. Over his minor league career, he was 11-3 with 1.37 ERA and had 156 strikeouts in 111 and two-thirds innings.

The rest, as they say, is history. Last year, he pitched six innings in the playoffs and only allowed one run there as well. When you put these two performances together, Ogando has a 1.10 career ERA in the postseason.

No wonder the Rangers elected to keep him in the bullpen for this postseason even though he had started all season. He has been averaging over a strikeout per inning out of the bullpen and he seems to be able to come through in the clutch. He notched two victories against the Detroit Tigers in the ALCS, which definitely says something about the trust his team has in him.

He will be an important part for the Rangers as they try to hammer down the ends of their remaining games.