Rodriguez hitting on all cylinders

The bottom line is this: The Yankees third baseman looks as though he could hit a home run every time he steps to the plate. He appears as locked in as he has ever been, as focused and determined as he has ever been. This is a new Rodriguez, a player carrying his team in the postseason for the first time, turning a past full of failure into a present full of success.

“It’s been as good as I can remember,’’ Yankees manager Joe Girardi said. “What he’s been able to do so far in this postseason has been really pretty incredible. You know, it’s just not the home runs, it’s just not the RBIs. He’s a great base runner. His defense has been exceptional. I think his leadership has been exceptional.

“It’s more than just the numbers sometimes, what Alex does. He’s been as good as anyone I can remember.’’

With the Yankees one win away from the World Series going into Game 5 tonight against the Angels, Rodriguez is only one homer away from tying the Yankee record for long balls in one postseason (six), set by Bernie Williams in 1996. He is within reach of the all-time postseason record of eight. He has homered in each of the last three games, and overall is batting .407 with a .469 on-base percentage, and a 1.000 slugging percentage.

With Mark Teixeira struggling (.111 in the ALCS), and slowdowns from Hideki Matsui and Nick Swisher, Rodriguez has been the force in the middle of the Yankees lineup, a player that Angels closer Brian Fuentes walked with the bases empty and two outs in Game 3 rather than risk pitching to him. That came after Fuentes was one of Rodriguez’s victims, his homer in Game 2 helping the Yankees to the win.

“You’ve got to pick your spots, obviously,’’ said John Lackey, the pitcher tasked with keeping Rodriguez off the bases in tonight’s elimination game for the Angels. “It’s tough to pitch around one guy in this lineup because they’re so deep. But if I pitch up to my capabilities, I think I’ll be OK. I’ve had a little bit of success against him [9 for 51 lifetime, 4 homers].

“It would be nice to get the guys out in front of him. That kind of limits the damage right there. You’ve got to try to get those guys out in front of him, and hopefully he’s hitting with nobody on base.’’

While in the past Rodriguez hardly lived up to the expectations heaped upon him, it’s unlikely that anyone could have. He was supposed to be everywhere and everything for the Yankees, bring them World Series upon World Series. He did none of that.

But, somehow, the burden of being Alex Rodriguez seems less severe these days. Or at least Rodriguez appears more comfortable in his role, able to thrive even with the spotlight burning down on him.

“The focus was always on Alex, and I think that’s because of who he is and what his reputation brings and what the expectations are of Alex Rodriguez, which probably sometimes are really unfair,’’ Girardi said.

They might still be unfair. Yet Rodriguez suddenly is meeting those expectations. He might even be exceeding them.

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen a guy go through a stretch like this, especially in the postseason,’’ Teixeira said. “It’s unbelievable. They’re trying everything that they can to get him out. He’s not missing pitches, he’s not swinging at bad pitches, and Alex was one of the greatest hitters of all time. He’s showing it right now.’’

The Angels haven’t been able to do much to stop him. So the hits and the home runs keep coming, as do the superlatives. There is little else for his teammates and opponents to say, yet they all keep trying.

It is a complete reversal from the struggles and slip-ups of past postseasons, when he received far more taunts than cheers, his playoffs marked more by mistakes than meaningful contributions.

Not this year.

“There is no questioning what he’s meant to that Yankee lineup through the Minnesota series and now our series,’’ said Angels manager Mike Scioscia. “He’s as good as anybody has performed up to this point at any playoff. With the clutch hits, he’s played terrific defense. He’s doing everything for these guys.

“Obviously, we have to find a better way to contain him and to counter it.’’

Amalie Benjamin can be reached at abenjamin@globe.com.