By Patrick Gunn
As a part of Start Spreading the News’ top 10 list of “players we are most excited to see what they do” in 2020, let’s take a quick look at D.J. LeMahieu…
DJ LeMahieu hit like an MVP in his first year in Pinstripes. He exceeded every expectation thrown at him and had a career year, with highs in exit velocity (91.9 mph), slugging percentage (.518), and OPS+ (136).
So, what does LeMahieu have left to prove? Well, aside from last season, LeMahieu never had a slugging percentage over .500 and he had an immediate decline after his previous high. He dropped from .495 slugging in 2016 to .409 in 2017…in Colorado. His career slugging percentage is only .423, so he’s going to have to prove that the pop he showcased in 2019 was not just a part of an alleged juiced ball.
On top of that, LeMahieu was diagnosed with COVID-19. He was asymptomatic, but LeMahieu is going to have to prove that he’s fully healthy when he makes his first start at some point this season.
