DJ LeMahieu had a career-high 42 RBIs last season for the Rockies. (Denver Post file)
2014 HittingGPABAVG.R2B3BHRRBIsBBSOSBCSOBPSLGOPS149494.2675915554233971010.315.348.6632014 FieldingPositionGamesChancesErrorsFld. %DPRF/G2B1446766.991994.65
Let’s get right to the heart of it. Rockies second baseman DJ LeMahieu is a high-impact fielder and a low-impact hitter. A look at his Baseballreference.com stats page confirms that. LeMahieu finished 2014 with a 2.2 dWAR, while his oWAR was -0.3.
LeMahieu’s not all field and no hit, but his .664 OPS (while playing second base) ranked just 11th among National League qualifiers. While hitting eighth for much of the season, LeMahieu had a thankless job, but a contending team would certainly require more offensive production from a player who suited up for 149 games and had 538 plate appearances.
Despite LeMahieu’s lack of offense punch, he emerged as one of manager Walt Weiss’ favorite players.
“DJ one of those guys that tends to fly under the radar because he quietly gets it done,” Weiss said. “Not only has he made the routine play every night, he’s made some great plays this year. He’s made some web gems. People, when they think of DJ, they may not think of him in those terms, but he’s very capable of making a great play. People are taking notice.”
That doesn’t mean LeMahieu will win the Gold Glove — though I think he deserves it — but at least he’ll get serious consideration.
LeMahieu’s defensive range factor (the numbers vary depending on the source) show that he’s clearly one of the best defensive second basemen in the majors. Add in his .991 fielding percentage and 99 double plays turned and it equals a terrific defensive season. When Tulo was healthy, he and LeMahieu created the prettiest best DP combo in the NL.
At 6-foot-4, LeMahieu’s huge for a second baseman, but he’s got quick feet, soft hands and great instincts. His feel for the game puts him in the right place at the right time. Also, keep in mind that while infielders such as Tulo and Nolan Arenado came and went with injuries, and their fill-ins contributed to Colorado’s leaky defense, LeMahieu was a rock.
As long as Weiss remains the boss, LeMahieu will remain his starting second baseman. I also know that LeMahieu’s teammates love him and depend on him. The sabermetrics crowd doesn’t always look for intangibles, but in LeMahieu’s case, the intangibles carry a lot of weight.
Does he need to hit better? Yes. But he was still a bright spot in a gloomy season. In 2015, Weiss will count on LeMahieu to be his steady self at second while hoping for more production at the plate.
2014 Salary: $501,000
2015 Salary: $502,000
Stat of Note: 99 Double plays turned, most among National League second basemen, a key statistic for a team that is stressing groundball outs as part of its pitchers’ game plan.
GRADE: B-
Tags: DJ Lemahieu, Nolan Arenado, Troy Tulowitzki, Walt Weiss
