A RING IS THE THING FOR DJ!
LeMahieu excited to be back, says ‘we’re ready’ to win Yanks’ 28th title
DJ LeMahieu is more interested in chasing after a World Series title than he is about chasing dollar signs.
The newly re-signed Yankees slugger made that point clear when he held a press conference Thursday afternoon a day after the team made his new six-year deal official. News that the two sides had struck a deal was first reported on Jan. 15.
“It was frustrating at times because it took so long, but I’m so excited to be back,” LeMahieu said of returning to the Bronx. “That’s what I wanted from the beginning, it’s what I wanted all along. Just couldn’t be more excited. I’m just happy it all worked out.”
It worked out great for the Yankees as they return arguably their most valuable player from the last two seasons on a team-friendly six-year, $90 million (annual average salary of $15M) deal despite interest from several other teams, including the Blue Jays.
And the Yankees made it clear that returning LeMahieu — now a two-time batting champion — to the mix was priority No. 1 this offseason.
Now that both sides got what they wanted, it is time to start working toward winning a World Series, something the Bombers haven’t been able to accomplish since 2009.
“There’s no doubt,” LeMahieu, 32, said when asked if thinks the 2021 pinstripers are finally ready to win it all. “We just have to get over that hump. We’re ready. I’ve been saying it for two years, but it’s time. It’s just another reason why I wanted to be back.”
As for last year’s squad that got bounced in the AL Division Series by the eventual AL pennant-winning Rays, LeMahieu still thinks the Yankees were the better team.
“I think we ran into a really hot Tampa team. I thought we were better than they were. I think they just made a couple plays that we didn’t and that was the bottom line.
“Moving forward we’ve got to make those plays, whatever it is. I just thought last year they had our number. It was disappointing and I really think we are going to get over the hump here. Hopefully that just keeps building.”
The Rays, who won the AL East title by seven games over the Yankees, ended New York’s season with a 2-1 Game 5 victory at San Diego’s Petco Park. Tampa reached the World Series but fell in six games to the Dodgers.
It’s LeMahieu’s second team-friendly deal with the Bombers since leaving the Rockies after the 2018 season. At the time the Yankees’ 2-year, $24 million deal for the sweet-swinging infielder left many scratching their heads because it wasn’t clear that the three-time Gold Glover had a home in the team’s crowded infield.
But LeMahieu proved two things. The first being that his gaudy numbers weren’t just a Coors Field creation. And second that it didn’t matter where in the infield he played, he would excel wherever the team needed him. After bouncing between second base (75 games), third (52) and first (40) in Year 1 in pinstripes, LeMahieu has settled
in as the team’s everyday second baseman.
As for his hitting, LeMahieu has proven he can flat-out rake no matter what the altitude is. He earned his second-career batting title last year during the abbreviated pandemic season with a .364 average. He also earned a batting title in Colorado (.348 in 2016) and is just the second player in MLB history to win a batting crown in each league.
Overall, in his two seasons with the Yankees, LeMahieu has a major-league best .336 batting average and ranks second in average with runners in scoring position (.384).
He is one of just three active players to win a batting title and earn multiple Gold Glove awards. The other two? Albert Pujols and Mookie Betts.
And now the Yankees are betting that the winning move this offseason was simply to secure LeMahieu’s return.