{"id":296134,"date":"2021-07-11T02:45:23","date_gmt":"2021-07-10T23:45:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/dj-lemahieus-decreased-power-numbers-hurting-yankees\/"},"modified":"2021-07-11T02:45:23","modified_gmt":"2021-07-10T23:45:23","slug":"dj-lemahieus-decreased-power-numbers-hurting-yankees","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/dj-lemahieus-decreased-power-numbers-hurting-yankees\/","title":{"rendered":"#DJ LeMahieu’s decreased power numbers hurting Yankees"},"content":{"rendered":"

“#DJ LeMahieu’s decreased power numbers hurting Yankees<\/strong>”<\/p>\n

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HOUSTON \u2014 After the Yankees signed their top offseason priority, DJ LeMahieu, to a six-year, $90 million deal, the ultra-consistent and productive infielder did something he hadn\u2019t done as a Yankee: he stopped hitting.<\/p>\n

And he really hasn\u2019t looked like the same player at the plate he was in his first two seasons in The Bronx.<\/p>\n

LeMahieu\u2019s average is down significantly, but that\u2019s hardly as big a concern as his drop in power.<\/p>\n

Entering Saturday\u2019s game<\/a> against the Astros at Minute Maid Park, LeMahieu had a slugging percentage of just .370.<\/p>\n

It was a career-high .590 in his superb season last year, and in his first season with the Yankees it was .518, which was also a career-best at that point.<\/p>\n

There had been speculation LeMahieu\u2019s numbers would improve following MLB\u2019s crackdown on foreign substances, since advanced spin rates have had more of an impact on some hitters than others, but that hasn\u2019t been the case.<\/p>\n

\"DJ
DJ LeMahieu<\/figcaption>
AP<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

LeMahieu has been slightly more productive since the enforcement of the rule has gone into effect, but he still went into Saturday with just two extra-base hits in his previous 11 games.<\/p>\n

The Yankees have kept him at the top of the lineup and are confident some of his underlying numbers prove it will be just a matter of time before his results improve.<\/p>\n

Unlike many of his struggling teammates, LeMahieu is not hitting the ball on the ground more than in prior seasons.<\/p>\n

What is a concern, though, is the fact LeMahieu\u2019s hard-hit percentage is down considerably, according to Fangraphs.<\/p>\n

In his first season with the Yankees, his hard-hit rate was 40.4 percent. It went down to 35.4 percent last season, even with his stellar overall stats.<\/p>\n

This year, it\u2019s just 27.8 percent, which is what it was during the early part of LeMahieu\u2019s career in Colorado, before he became an All-Star.<\/p>\n

It seems hard to fathom his production remains so far below that of the past two years. There is thought there are still adjustments being made \u2014 both by hitters and pitchers \u2014 as spin rates continue to stay down along with the use of sticky substances.<\/p>\n

LeMahieu\u2019s decreased production would be less of an issue if the rest of the lineup were performing up to standards, but for the most part, it is not.<\/p>\n

And with the Yankees looking far up at the Rays and Red Sox in the AL East standings, LeMahieu\u2019s slump at the top of the batting order becomes even more glaring.<\/p>\n