Last winter when the Yankees and DJ LeMahieu put pen to paper to keep the second baseman in pinstripes for six more years, it felt like the no-brainer decision of the offseason. He was coming off two straight top-four MVP finishes as well as the AL batting title in 2020. However, one season in and the six-year, $90 million contract is already beginning to look bad.
LeMahieu took a massive step back at the plate in 2021. After slashing .336/.386/.536 with 36 home runs, 129 RBIs, a 146 wRC+, and 7.9 fWAR in 195 games between 2019 and 2020, he regressed to a player who more closely resembled the Rockies version of DJ LeMahieu.