DJ LeMahieu

LeMahieu batted .327 and then .364 during his first two seasons as a Yankee, but he's dropped off considerably in the three campaigns since. Last season, the veteran posted the lowest batting average (.243) and highest strikeout rate (22.2 percent) of his career. It could be that the foot injury that derailed the second half of his 2022 campaign continued to bother LeMahieu into 2023, but there's also the distinct possibility that the 35-year-old is simply losing ground to Father Time. Despite the recent falloff, there are a few reasons to believe LeMahieu could rebound to an extent next season: he still has near-elite bat-to-ball skills, and he experienced a mini-resurgence between the All-Star break and the end of August last year, posting an .879 OPS over 37 games before falling off again during the final month of the season. It's unlikely that he'll return to the form that netted him two batting titles, and he's a below-average contributor in power and speed, so fantasy managers shouldn't look to LeMahieu before the very late rounds of drafts. Still, opportunity should be there, either as New York's starting third baseman or as a utility man in a near-everyday role.

LeMahieu delivered a strong first half with a .279/.383/.403 slash line and 48:45 BB:K in 83 games, but he scuffled down the stretch and hit .195 after the start of August. He was playing through a toe fracture but eventually landed on the injured list and missed most of the final month of the season. The injury likely played a role in his struggles, and he ended up with the worst BABIP (.285) of his big-league career. Overall, he played in 125 games and had a career-best 12.5 percent walk rate, while his strikeout rate (13.1 percent) remained steady with recent seasons. LeMahieu took a major step back in 2021 and was rebounding well in 2022 prior to the injury, which is encouraging news for his outlook going forward. However, he'll turn 35 years old in July and may have a more difficult time reaching the highs of his first two years in New York, both of which netted him a Silver Slugger.

There is no way to sugarcoat it: LeMahieu was one of the bigger busts of 2021. Now that we've set that aside, we'll focus on why you should buy back in this season. After two terrific seasons in New York, his production fell smack dab back to league average after being well above that the two prior seasons. The lack of ability to drive the ball was quite concerning, and his sports hernia surgery after the season helps frame those struggles. The other noticeable struggle was how his average with runners in scoring position fell to .270 after rates of .392 and .364 the previous two campaigns. LeMahieu is still one of the toughest hitters to strike out and his expected stats still paint a rather favorable picture of his abilities. Consider 2019-2020 his peak level performance. Stare long and hard at his 2017-20 window because the 2021 struggle fees provide a buying opportunity.

LeMahieu eclipsed his superb first season in New York with a better one, posting a career-best .364/.421/.590 slash line, claiming the AL batting crown and finishing third on the MVP ballot. His 177 wRC+ ranked fourth in the league, and bested both players (Jose Ramirez and Jose Abreu) who finished ahead of him in the voting. He ranked third among qualified batters with an 89.9 Contact% while posting the second-best strikeout rate (9.7%). LeMahieu's barrel rate (2.9%) and average launch angle (2.3 degrees) hardly resemble that of a power hitter, but he took advantage of the Yankee Stadium right-field short-porch -- his 361-foot average HR distance was third-lowest in MLB -- to post a career-best 19.5 AB/HR. Replicating that rate is far from guaranteed, even after signing a long-term deal to stay in New York, but his bat-to-ball skills are elite and make LeMahieu one of baseball's most reliable hitters.

When LeMahieu signed with the Yankees last January, many expected his offensive output to decline without the benefit of 81 games at Coors Field. Instead, the 31-year-old put together an MVP-caliber season, ranking second in the American League with a .327 average and setting career highs in home runs (26), RBI (102), runs scored (109) and slugging percentage (.518). LeMahieu's flyball rate (26.2%) and average launch angle (6.7 degrees) don't fit the profile of a typical home-run hitter, but the veteran played the part by consistently mashing the ball, ranking 23rd in average exit velocity (91.7 mph) and posting a solid 40.4% hard-hit rate. LeMahieu's surprising 2019 home-run total should be viewed as a ceiling rather than an expectation, but his elite contact rate (85.5%) and presence atop New York's lineup bode well for another season of superb hitting and plenty of run-scoring opportunities.

LeMahieu flipped the script in 2018, bashing a career-high 15 homers despite two DL stints. It was a conscious decision to sell out for power, with LeMahieu doubling his launch angle en route to a 29.5% flyball rate, seven points above his career rate. It came with him sacrificing his all-fields contact, however, something even the Coors Effect couldn't mask. While LeMahieu's .271 average was solid, it was disappointing for a player drafted to be a pillar in the category after three consecutive .300-plus seasons. He landed in another favorable home park in Yankee Stadium, but LeMahieu is a .264/.311/.364 career road hitter -- he faces a stiff challenge to re-emerge as the batting-average stabilizer he once was, particularly if he maintains the new swing. Even with a more balanced plate approach, his counting totals will likely drop now that he's a super-utility player no longer buoyed by 82 games at altitude.

LeMahieu hit over .300 for a third consecutive season, but his power fell back from an already below-average level. That was a result of his flyball rate falling to below 20 percent, with LeMahieu posting the seventh-lowest Average Launch Angle in baseball (min. 200 at-bats). He mustered just 18 extra-base hits in 300 at-bats at Coors Field (three homers), and his success rate on the basepaths fell again (6-for-11). The 29-year-old's plate skills are strong -- he had a 13.2 percent strikeout rate and 8.7 percent walk rate last season -- and some tweaks to his swing could change his power outlook considerably, but right now, LeMahieu is mostly a two-category player (average and runs). Something to keep in mind: he's entering his final season before free agency and may be motivated to make some changes.

LeMahieu flew under the radar a bit in 2015 despite putting together a solid year, but he made the league take notice with his 2016 showing. After putting up a solid .746 OPS in 2015, he broke out to the tune of a .348/.416/.495 line, winning the National League batting title. He also put up career highs in doubles (32), RBI (66) and runs (104). The All-Star even muscled up for 11 home runs, equaling the number he hit over the previous two years combined. Thanks to all of this and an outstanding 0.83 BB/K, LeMahieu has become a steady mid-tier option at the keystone, but the longevity of his current levels of production will hinge on his future with the Rockies. He's under club control with Colorado through the 2018 campaign. LeMahieu hit .303/.353/.395 with four of his 11 homers on the road in 2016, while his output soared to a .391/.473/.591 line at Coors Field.

LeMahieu needed 150 games to mash six home runs despite playing 75 games at Coors Field, where Dodgers rookie Joc Pederson hit four home runs as a visitor in 2015 alone. Still, LeMahieu managed to sustain his solid contact skills and his ability to spray the ball across Colorado's huge outfield to record a .301/.358/.388 line with 85 runs scored, all career highs. His 23 stolen bases also marked a career high, and he had an 88 percent success rate despite being caught 10 times in 20 stolen-base attempts in 2014. Second base projects to be a weak offensive position once again, and while LeMahieu wouldn't be worth a look outside of Colorado, he's making the most out of his at-bats. If he can maintain a high average and keep running regularly, he will be worthwhile again in 2016 despite his power deficiency.

Thanks largely to his standout defense, LeMahieu retained a regular role throughout 2014 for the Rockies, playing a career-high 149 games and leading all NL second basemen in both Defensive Runs Saved and Ultimate Zone Rating en route to his first Gold Glove. Unfortunately, this was of little relevance in the fantasy realm, where LeMahieu’s minimal power (25 extra-base hits in 538 plate appearances) and presence in the bottom third of the order deflated his counting stats. LeMahieu even noticed a decent-sized drop in the offensive categories he’d typically been an asset, as an increased strikeout rate led to a 13-point drop in his batting average from 2013, while decreased efficiency on the basepaths (10-for-20 on steal attempts) made him more reluctant to run as the season progressed. The 26-year-old’s tremendous glove should grant him the upper hand in remaining atop the Rockies' depth chart at second base, but even with the added benefit of calling Coors Field his home park, LeMahieu will struggle to emerge as much more than a lower-tier fantasy option at his position.

After Josh Rutledge flopped as the second baseman to start the season, LeMahieu stepped in to provide an immediate upgrade with a steady batting average and excellent glovework. Those attributes were to be expected based on what LeMahieu had delivered a season prior, but new manager Walt Weiss’s more aggressive approach on the basepaths allowed the second baseman to showcase another dimension of his game with 18 stolen bases. The inability to draw walks and a lack of power will continue to inhibit LeMahieu’s fantasy appeal, but in deeper leagues, his above-average contributions in two categories are enough to warrant attention at the middle-infield spot. In recognition of his strong 2013 showing, LeMahieu should be the frontrunner for the Opening Day second base job, but even if he loses out to Rutledge once again, he should see ample usage in a utility role.

LeMahieu redeemed himself following an uninspiring first callup to the Rockies in May, batting .316 after the All-Star break while becoming a defensive standout at second base, making just two errors in 311 chances. Those numbers were nice, but because LeMahieu lacks even low-end power or speed, he was a virtual non-entity in fantasy despite playing regularly in the second half. LeMahieu's mediocre on-base skills will make it difficult to sustain last season's lofty batting average, which would strip him of nearly all his value. If that does not happen, the move of Josh Rutledge to second base almost surely will, as LeMahieu projects this season as little more than a utility infielder, likely replacing Jordan Pacheco on defense in the later innings.

With little power to speak of and poor on-base skills, it's hard to see a lot of upside for LeMahieu even in Coors Field after he was traded to Colorado in the Tyler Colvin deal. LeMahieu does make good contact, so he's a fair bet to hit for average, but he doesn't run much, and the lack of walks limits his capacity to score runs. He could be in the running the second-base job this spring, but you're better off gambling on Chris Nelson or Eric Young, Jr.