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DJ LeMahieu facing critical year for New York Yankees

By David Hill

Sep 8, 2021; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees second baseman DJ LeMahieu (26) wipes his face after the Yankees fail to score in the eighth inning against the Toronto Blue Jays at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 8, 2021; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees second baseman DJ LeMahieu (26) wipes his face after the Yankees fail to score in the eighth inning against the Toronto Blue Jays at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports /
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The New York Yankees lineup struggled as a whole in 2021. Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton were the only regulars in the lineup that posted an OPS+ above league average. Anthony Rizzo and Luke Voit joined that duo as the only players on the Yankees with more than 50 plate appearances to reach that mark. This was not what the Yankees had expected at all.

DJ LeMahieu may have been the biggest disappointment of all. He had been a bargain in his first two seasons in New York, finishing in the top five in the AL MVP award and winning the Silver Slugger both years. When he signed a six year deal worth $90 million to stay in New York, the Yankees thought they had a key piece of the lineup for years to come.

2022 critical year for DJ LeMahieu and New York Yankees

That success did not continue in 2021. While LeMahieu was valuable due to his ability to move around the diamond, seeing significant time at first, second, and third, his offense suffered. He posted a .268/.349/.362 batting line in his 679 plate appearances, hitting just ten homers and 24 doubles. While stats from the pandemic shortened 2020 campaign have to be taken with some measure of skepticism, LeMahieu’s OPS dropped 300 points from 2020 to 2021.

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There could be any number of reasons for that decline in production. Plenty of players struggled in 2021 due to having a normal year after the pandemic shortened campaign. Those struggles could easily be a blip on the radar with LeMahieu returning to form in 2022.

But it is worth noting that LeMahieu will turn 34 years old next year. His best seasons are hypothetically behind him and his production will just continue to fade. As he is signed for five more years, and will be 39 years old when his contract comes to an end, the Yankees have to hope that the end comes later rather than sooner.

That makes the 2022 campaign all the more important. The Yankees have to hope that LeMahieu can return to the form he had displayed over his first two seasons with the team. Otherwise, that contract, which made perfect sense at the time, could turn out to be another disaster.

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DJ LeMahieu was one of the New York Yankees’ biggest disappointments in 2021. They have to hope that he bounces back in the upcoming year.

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