One of the most beloved Yankees, DJ LeMahieu, is clearly one of the best players and specifically one of the best hitters in Major League Baseball. I’ve noticed that LeMahieu isn’t your conventional ballplayer though, he has his own style. It’s quite admirable and also very interesting, which led me to find out more about the Yankee first basemen.
Obviously, LeMahieu’s numbers speak for themself. A three-time All-Star and gold-glover, LeMahieu holds a career .302 batting average. As this is all impressive, learning more about the social aspect and personalities of players is super interesting.
One thing that’s super appealing about LeMahieu is that he’s been a Yankee fan all his life. I always thought it was super cool to see a Major League player playing for his childhood favorite team.
If you’ve ever just listened to LeMahieu in a postgame interview or any kind of public speaking you’ll know that he’s a man of very few words. This trait is something that separates him from other players.
Some may assume that LeMahieu is just not personable, but I think he’s just a focused and concentrated person. It seems that because of his ability to clear his head and separate himself from outside factors, he’s able to have so much success at the plate. Every time LeMahieu steps to the plate you can see how focused he is on hitting. This is something some players struggle with especially in the bright lights of New York City.
It’s also joked that DJ is a bit of a weird cat. Take a look at this photo of the team on a plane heading to a series, you can see LeMahieu in the background doing his own thing.
I just assumed that he’s watching film of the next opposing pitcher or googling how to have a higher bat speed or something.
One of my favorite interviews ever done by a player features LeMahieu. Reading this, you can get a clear understanding of how DJ is as a person.
Fun facts
When researching more about LeMahieu, I learned that his boyhood idol is Derek Jeter. When asked why LeMahieu responded, “Shortstop … Captain … World Series. … As a kid, that’s kind of what you dream of.”
When asked about what pitcher in MLB history he’d like to face the most, LeMahieu said Nolan Ryan because, “He’s got the big heater, he’s a competitor, and I don’t think he feared anyone, so I’d like to face him.”
LeMahieu’s hobbies consist of playing video games, watching a lot of sports, spending time with family, and enjoying playing with his two dogs. For the dog lovers out there, DJ has a little Pomsky and a little Pomeranian mutt.
https://twitter.com/djlemahieu/status/423218104726867968
When asked about superstitions in an interview, LeMahieu said, “Yeah but … too many to count. Too many to go over.”
Just like many kids growing up loving the sport of baseball, DJ’s favorite movie is “The Sandlot.”