Fansided

5 reasons why Yankees fans need to stop panicking

By Rucker Haringey

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - MARCH 30: Aaron Judge #99 of the New York Yankees bats during the ninth inning of the game against the Baltimore Orioles at Yankee Stadium on March 30, 2019 in the Bronx borough of New York City. (Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - MARCH 30: Aaron Judge #99 of the New York Yankees bats during the ninth inning of the game against the Baltimore Orioles at Yankee Stadium on March 30, 2019 in the Bronx borough of New York City. (Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images) /
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NEW YORK, NEW YORK – MARCH 30: DJ LeMahieu #26 of the New York Yankees hits a single, allowing Gleyber Torres #25 of the New York Yankees to score the first run during the fourth inning of the game against the Baltimore Orioles at Yankee Stadium on March 30, 2019 in the Bronx borough of New York City. (Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – MARCH 30: DJ LeMahieu #26 of the New York Yankees hits a single, allowing Gleyber Torres #25 of the New York Yankees to score the first run during the fourth inning of the game against the Baltimore Orioles at Yankee Stadium on March 30, 2019 in the Bronx borough of New York City. (Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images) /

4. D.J. LeMahieu is playing like an All-Star

A lot of Yankees are struggling to start the season, but LeMahieu certainly doesn’t fall into that category. He currently leads the team with a .400 batting average through his first 20 at-bats.

That’s excellent production from a player that many fans thought was a superfluous signing when Cashman made the move to bring him to New York. He wasn’t slated to be a starter at any single position, but the front office loved his defensive versatility. Obviously the injury to Miguel Andujar has forced him to slot in as the team’s primary third baseman for the time being.

No one is suggesting that LeMahieu is going to be Ted Williams at the plate all season, but he does have some characteristics with the bat that his teammates don’t. Namely, he’s a guy who puts the ball in play the vast majority of the time. That’s a dangerous weapon when you play against the number of shifts that teams currently employ.

His work with the glove might be even more impressive than what he’s done with the bat. He’s played gold glove caliber defense all over the diamond on the young season. The fact is that he projects to be an above average player for the Yankees at multiple positions this season. That’s a great plus for a team with World Series aspirations.

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