The 2015 MLB trade deadline has concluded and teams are now either dreaming of their future or ready to show off their new additions.

This means that all the excitement and drama is focused either on prospects for the future or the hunt for October and for the first time in two years Alex Rodriguez is not a part of all that. That’s right folks, the man who accumulated enough drama in the past two years to create his own reality TV show has managed to stay out of the spotlight for the vast majority of this season.

No more storming out of arbitration hearings, no more suing the players union (which he is a part of) and of course, no more steroids. Alex Rodriguez has seen himself become a household name for both good and bad reasons over the last two seasons but this season he has seen his name shed in a much more positive light.

Whether you like him or not, you can’t argue the fact that Alex Rodriguez is having an all-star caliber season and arguably an instrumental part of the Yankees success.

I’ll be the first one to admit, I had very little respect or positive thoughts about Rodriguez after all his temper tantrums and tainted numbers. Ever since the now 40 year old A-Rod started putting up impressive CLEAN numbers coming off a year of baseball inactivity I have changed my tune.

I had no idea in my wildest nightmares that I’d see a steroid user come back to baseball the way he did and perform just like he never left. Alex Rodriguez is arguably the most watched and scrutinized player in baseball right now so it’s hard to imagine that his numbers this year are not clean, making this year that much more impressive.

I’d find it hard to believe that anyone wouldn’t be impressed with a slash line of .281/.388/.539 even on a normal season and with the majority of MLB hitters. A-Rod is still managing to play at such a high level with no post steroid hangover boasting a 24 home run total landing him the 11th best in the majors. His slugging percentage ranks higher than Anthony Rizzo, Adrian Gonzales, and Joey Votto for crying out loud.

He’s a true power hitter and unlike the Astros Chris Carter, Alex Rodriguez is consistent with his power as shown by his isolated power average of .258. He thrives under pressure and tough situations just as well this year as any other year.

Just look at his BABIP of .306 and try to tell me that’s not impressive. Could anyone not like the fact that Rodriguez has four major statistical numbers that are within the top 15 in all of baseball? The answer to that would be no.

How many other 40 year old hitters coming off a yearlong suspension have you known to perform this well? You’d certainly be hard pressed to find anyone else who fits that bill. It’s a clean slate for Rodriguez and he’s certainly making the best of it. He’s earned back my respect and if the doubters would get off their high horses and think clearly, they would too.

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