The narrative has already launched. As fans waited for Manny Machado and Bryce Harper to (finally) sign somewhere, DJ LeMahieu‘s signing became almost an afterthought. Make no mistake, the former Rockie has been absolutely critical to a Yankee team scuffed by injuries and bad starting pitching. By Fangraphs WAR, he’s been the Yankees best player and he leads the AL in batting average. His flexibility throughout the infield has eased the burden on manager Aaron Boone, too.
Time and again, LeMahieu has come through with big hits in big moments.