DJ LeMahieu Became The 1st Player In The Modern Era To Win The Batting Title In Both Leagues - Now Give This Man a Blank Check
The Yankees had three position players in 2020 that they could consistently rely upon: Luke Voit, Gio Urshela, and DJ LeMahieu. Without those 3 who the fuck knows where this team is right now. Without DJ I'm not sure they're in the postseason. Not enough can be said about that machine. He may very well be the best acquisition Brian Cashman has ever made in his tenure with the Yankees. Seen by many as a consolation prize to the Manny Machado sweepstakes, DJ has been everything the Yankees could have asked for and more. He is the perfect Yankee. If you slid him on the '98 Yankees he'd fit in perfectly. Day in and day out the man shows up and hits the shit out of the baseball.
On Sunday the Yankees second baseman secured his career batting title, making him the first player in the modern era to win a batting title in both the American League and the National League. In fact this year LeMahieu secured the MLB batting title, leading all of baseball with a .364 batting average. The other three Yankees to ever lead all of baseball in batting average? Mickey Mantle, Joe DiMaggio, Lou Gehrig. Yeah I'd say not too bad be on a list with those guys!
The elephant in the room is that DJ is a free agent at the end of the year and the Yankees still haven't extended him to the disbelief of basically the entire organization. He'll be one of the more coveted free agents in the league if the Yankees allow him to walk. In my mind that would be the single greatest mistake they've ever made, and keep in mind they've made some bad ones. The infielder is just 32 years old and has a game that should translate well into his late 30s. The dude just rakes and fields. Runners in scoring position, he brings them in. In my time watching the Yankees he's the greatest hitter I've ever seen put on the pinstripes. I think anyone who has played with him would agree.
The Yankees must present this man with a blank check in the offseason. Start at 5 years 100 mill and go from there. Do literally whatever it takes. You cannot allow DJ to play for another team next year. There are sure some things they'll need to retool within the team, but keeping DJ is imperative. Without him at the top of the order shit hits the fan. I would be lost as a person without number 26 out there in pinstripes next year. I wouldn't be able to live with myself watching him play elsewhere.
Pay the man. He wants to stay, let him stay! For the love of God let him stay!
BLANK. CHECK.