Struggling Yankees Player DJ LeMahieu Criticized by Hosts
Publicly, the New York Yankees show support for struggling infielder DJ LeMahieu, with hitting coach James Rowson expressing optimism about his recent hits despite poor outcomes.
Privately, concerns likely exist due to LeMahieu’s .180 batting average, no home runs, and a 39 OPS+ (with 100 being average) in 103 plate appearances. New York hosts are more candid about his struggles.
SNY’s Jon Alba tweeted, “Multiple baseball experts believe DJ LeMahieu is completely shot as a productive player. Injuries have compromised his ability to drive the ball. It’s a shame.”
WFAN’s Chris McMonigle observed, “He took his best swings in the last two weeks on Tuesday, but they didn’t even reach the warning track. He has zero power left. The juice is gone.”
McMonigle referred to a game against the Cincinnati Reds where LeMahieu went 0 for 4, hitting two flyouts at 101.1 mph and 98.7 mph, around his average for his hardest hits (98.9 mph), ranking 270th in MLB for players with at least 25 at-bats. Giancarlo Stanton (108.1) and Aaron Judge (107.8) top the list.
While LeMahieu maintains a low strikeout rate (17.5%), his swing lacks impact. His expected slugging percentage is .395, similar to last year’s level, and his max-exit velocity of 107.7 mph is the lowest of his career over at least 10 seasons.
With LeMahieu’s decline, it’s understandable why there’s talk of the Yankees exploring the corner-infield market ahead of the July 30 trade deadline.
