Forming Batting Champion Heating Up For Yankees

In 2024, DJ LeMahieu was one of the worst hitters in MLB. The New York Yankees’ 2-time batting champion slashed .204/.269/.259 over 67 games. It appeared that there was pretty much nothing left in the tank for the 36-year-old, who is under contract through 2026. However, after coming back from a left calf strain that cost him the first 41 games of the season, LeMahieu has been significantly better than he was last season.

“LeMachine” is Back?

Playing mostly at second base, the position where he won 3 Gold Gloves with the Colorado Rockies, LeMahieu has been serviceable both in the field and at the plate. Through 31 games this season, “LeMachine” is slashing .256/.337/.356 with 2 homers and 9 RBI’s accumulating a 0.6 brWAR thus far.

Though these numbers aren’t excellent, LeMahieu has been leagues better than he was last season, and frankly better than most expected. If he is able to sustain this level of production as a more-or-less average hitter, the Yankees will be much better off than having to slot the lineup with either an aged LeMahieu or another offensive liability in Oswald Peraza.

Potential For a Trade

However, the Yankees may look to deal LeMahieu at some point, especially if he starts struggling. According to ESPN’s Buster Olney, the Yankees’ search for a right-handed bat might involve moving LeMahieu (and his massive contract) off the roster:

“Look, if you’re thinking about possible change with this lineup, the guy to watch, no question, is DJ LeMahieu. He’s 36 years old. He turns 37 next month. … I think part of the reason the Yankees put Jazz Chisholm at third base when he came off the injured list was they want to maintain flexibility in case they decide to make a change. LeMahieu would be the obvious guy to be dealt if they decide to do that.”

Not many teams would be willing to take on LeMahieu and his $15 million salary, but if the Yankees included him in a package with some other prospects, it could be worth it for a decent right-handed hitter. Still, the odds of this are not high, and the Yankees appear to have faith in their veteran second baseman being that he plays almost every day.

Good, But Not Good Enough

Even if LeMahieu does keep up this level of production and stays with the team, it likely won’t be good enough for New York’s front office, which has reportedly been inquiring to get another right-handed bat who can play third base. If they do make a move for a third baseman, that would mean Jazz Chisholm Jr. would resume his duties at second, leaving no place for LeMahieu. His versatility in the field makes him a valuable bench option, but his high salary will also prompt the Yankees to play him wherever and whenever they can.

It will be interesting to see how they would solve this problem, but it might not even be an issue at all if LeMahieu continues with his current resurgence at the plate. With a fairly strong lineup, the Yankees will be probably fine with LeMahieu at second; it all depends on how much hitting he has left in him.