Second baseman DJ LeMahieu and the New York Yankees close a six-year $ 90 million deal, sources familiar with the deal tell ESPN’s Jeff Passan.
LeMahieu finished third in the AL MVP voting after winning the AL batting title with an average of .364, leading the MLB through the pandemic-shortened 2020 season and becoming the fourth player. in Yankees history to lead the majors in that category. along with Mickey Mantle (.353 in 1956), Joe DiMaggio (.381 in 1939) and Lou Gehrig (.363 in 1934).
It was the second batting title in his career for LeMahieu, 32, to win the National League crown with a .348 batting average for the Colorado Rockies in 2016. He was joined by Hall of Famer Ed Delahanty (1899, 1902) as the only players who won batting titles in both competitions.
LeMahieu had turned down an eligible bid of $ 18.9 million from the Yankees for one year.
While most of his playing time is in the middle, LeMahieu, who made $ 12 million in 2020, also sees action at first and third base. He has elite contact skills and discipline on the record, finishing the season with 10 home runs, including seven for the other side, best total in MLB, 41 runs scored and 27 RBI’s, and led the American League on-base percentage (.421). OPS (1.011) and OPS + (177).
“If you add up the last two years in the majors, he is shortlisted for being the best player in the sport,” said Yankees manager Aaron Boone after the regular season. “It’s been so shocking. In the most important moments it always seems to deliver.”
In two seasons with the Yankees, LeMahieu has a .336 batting average in 195 games, with 36 homeruns, 129 RBI’s, 150 runs scored and a .922 OPS. During that period, he led the majors with 80 multi-hit games and was second with 268 hits, while posting a .384 batting average with runners in scoring position.
He also challenged the perceived norm by hitting home runs more often while playing for the Yankees (every 24 at bats) than for the Rockies (76).
The only setback in his 2020 season came when he landed on the 10-day disabled list in August after spraining his thumb during an uncomfortable swing. It was the second time he injured his thumb; He also broke a bone with the Rockies in 2018.
The three-time All-Star roster has a Silver Bat (2019) and three Gold Gloves (2014, 2017-18) to his credit, proving his worth on the record and on the field. In 2018, while with the Rockies, he led all major divisions in defensive regression analysis.
In 10 Major League-seasons, LeMahieu, a second round draft pick of the Chicago Cubs in the 2009 draft, has a .305 batting average with 85 home runs, 478 RBI’s, 651 runs scored and a .787 OPS.
ESPN’s Marly Rivera contributed to this report.