LaMahieu Replaying Those 2019 Classic Hits for the Yankees
It was not what we wanted. The announcement that DJ LeMahieu was getting closer to playing elicited a collective sigh from the fan base. The four-year journey of injuries and lost time buried the memories of when DJ was one of the best players on this team. It made his return to that form something no one saw coming.
DJ is back playing his natural position at second base. The injury to Jazz Chisholm Jr. in a spot where the Yankees have not gotten much production opened the door. However, DJ looks healthy. His at-bats resemble the man who 2019, made the All-Star team and batted .327, driving in 26 home runs and 102 RBIs while claiming his first Silver Slugger Award. In addition, he was a Swiss army knife, playing three infield positions at an elite level. DJ was also a clutch hitter, especially in the postseason. The numbers since his return do not resemble that player. However, you can see the signs. It is in the subtle things, such as his opposite-field stroke being revived, and playing the field like nothing has changed. His baseball smarts and situational hitting are a commodity that is lacking in the Yankee approach far too often.
Since DJ has returned to his natural position at second base, the authority he shows and the soundness of his play have made that side of the field secure. It was highlighted in the series against the New York Mets when he went to his knees to throw out MLB’s highest-paid player, Juan Soto, who was not hustling at a key juncture of the final game of the Subway Series. He is not hitting for a high average, but it is inching forward. His swings look more powerful and look more like the 2019 vintage. “DJ LeMahieu could fall out of bed and hit,” Yankee manager Aaron Boone said, “I think the biggest thing that’s tripped him up over the years is the nagging, different injuries that have popped up and slowed him.”He was robbed of an opposite-field drive in the Mets series by a classic dive. Yet, DJ has gotten some good balls through the infield at a good rate, and his baseball smarts have normalized the lineup on the bases as well as in the field.
It all started with a single that landed in the outfield, a rare sight for DJ the last couple of years, in his return against the Seattle Mariners. It was chalked up to luck. The inning before, re DJ showed a smooth pivot to complete a key double play ball thrown by Fernando Cruz to contribute to a win. The spark was lit, and a big series was up next.
It was the Mets series, though, where he broke out loudly. He went two for four with a home run in the middle game, with a sliding nab to steal a hit from Francisco Lindor. He got another hit in the series final, and the aforementioned robbery sliding to his right and throwing out a non-hustling Soto. The game was tied at the tie, DJ and I showed championship fielding pedigree that is not seen often enough at second. The Texas series that followed continued to see DJ making an impact. He had an RBI groundout to give the Yankees an early lead before Jasson Dominguez hit a walk-off homer to clinch the series.
In summary, we have seen DJ MaMaheiu start to replay the hits we remembered in 2019. It remains to be seen if he can stay healthy the rest of the way. When Jazz returns, DJ may find himself on third once more. One thing is for certain. If he can just be half the player he was in his glory year, here he can be a subtle superstar to the Yankees and an asset that they did not think they would ever have again. Time will tell, of course, but until then, let the DJ continue to play those 2019 classics.
