The Yankees have been waiting for a heartbeat. Even a pulse would’ve sufficed from 36-year-old veteran infielder DJ LeMahieu. DJ has been ice cold, a corpse if you will, since returning from a foot injury he sustained during spring training. It took him almost two months to record his first extra-base hit, and heading into Monday’s game against Tampa, he still hadn’t recorded his first home run of the season.
DJ LeMahieu Shows Signs of Life in Yankees’ Victory
Fortunately, LeMahieu got a hanging slider right in the middle of the plate to launch to left field in the 9-1 win over Tampa to start the week, clearing the outfield wall and proving that he has just enough power to round the bases without complications. That small sign of hope now enters the back of our brains, but we can’t ignore the large sample size of inefficiency.
LeMahieu, who has played 40 games this season, is hitting .181/.276/.228, including a 17.1% strikeout rate and an 11% walk rate. His 58.3% ground ball rate has been highly problematic, resulting in double plays and easy outs.
Struggling at the Plate
DJ has always been known for his ability to make contact to the opposite field, slapping the ball the other way. Unfortunately, his oppo percentage this year has dropped to 22.1%, 6% less than in 2023 and 13% less than his 2022 number. He is simply not seeing the ball well enough and producing enough power to get it through the infield, failing to put the ball in play to right field. Once considered a premium contact hitter, he is simply trying to elevate the ball at this point, and his -0.5° launch angle certainly hasn’t helped him in that regard.
From his hard-hit percentage dropping below 40% for the first time since 2015 and his inability to make late contact the other way, his numbers have reached catastrophic levels.
Defensive Contributions
The only thing keeping his head above water is his defensive production. On the hot corner this year, he hosts a .989 fielding percentage with five outs above average over 284.2 innings. That can’t be overlooked, and the Yankees may look for a replacement by the deadline; however, LeMahieu improving in the batter’s box would be a major help, even if he ends up playing a utility role the rest of the season.
Oddly, DJ has been solid with runners in scoring position, hitting .267 this year and collecting an impressive 11 RBIs over 30 at-bats. He has stepped up in critical moments, but the Yankees can’t trust him in the top half of the order, which is why he’s been at the bottom lately.
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Moving Forward
Seeing a small sign of confidence and life on Monday is exciting, but the Yankees need to see consistent performances like that to convince themselves he has any gas left in the tank to support a team with World Series aspirations. Brian Cashman should still be eyeing an upgrade at the trade deadline, regardless.