DJ LeMahieu's stardom with Yankees no surprise to Rockies

CLEVELAND — The mention of DJ LeMahieu’s name in the Yankees clubhouse elicits a steady stream of superlatives.

“He’s such a good ballplayer it’s hard to describe,” Gary Sanchez said through his translator recently. “Any words I can say about him are going to fall short. I mean, the guy gets two, three hits every day. If he’s having a tough day he has two hits. He can do it all. Is there a word for better than best? He’s that good.”

Turns out, it was the same in Colorado, where LeMahieu, whose dual work at multiple positions in the field and steady work at the plate made him the Yankees' first-half MVP, spent the previous seven seasons.

“I think I’ve answered more questions about DJ than anything about the Rockies, Nolan [Arenado] or anything I’ve got going on,” Rockies All-Star outfielder Charlie Blackmon said Monday.

And that didn't irritate Blackmon at all.

Neither Blackmon, Arenado nor the other two Rockies on the NL squad, Trevor Story and David Dahl, were bothered when asked question after question about LeMahieu, who entered the break slashing .336/.383/.518 with 12 homers and 63 RBIs and will bat second for the AL in Tuesday’s All-Star Game. His former Rockies teammates were amused more than anything that the East Coast is catching on to what they’ve known for years.

“DJ’s the guy and everybody’s figured out how awesome he is and how good he is at baseball and now they want to know where he came from,” said Blackmon, a Rockie the last nine seasons. “Me and a few other guys know that he’s been a really good player for a long time. I think it’s great that the baseball world is now getting to see the guy that we’ve seen the last [seven] years.”

Story, who debuted with the Rockies in 2016, added separately: “Everyone seems kind of taken aback by it, but I saw it for three full years. He won the batting title, the All-Star [appearances]. He’s just doing the same thing only on a bigger media [stage]. He’s getting a little more attention for sure and good for him, man, he deserves all the praise he’s getting.”

It was a mostly under-the-radar free-agent signing this offseason when the Yankees inked the 30-year-old LeMahieu to a two-year $24 million deal. The idea was LeMahieu, predominantly a second baseman in his career, would play the role of a “regular reserve,” shifting around the diamond — second base one day, third on another, first base on occasion and maybe even short.

He has shifted around but not as a reserve. Gleyber Torres played much of the first half at short with Didi Gregorius opening the season in the injured list so LeMahieu got plenty of work at second. And at third. And at first, too.

“He was an everyday All-Star second baseman, but we placed the bet that he could adjust to first and he could adjust to third and they [Yankees scouts] said athletically and makeup-wise it’s not going to be an issue,” general manager Brian Cashman said. “So we placed that bet and thankfully it worked out.”

LeMahieu, a preposterous 36-for-78 (.462) with 51 RBIs and a 1.168 OPS with runners in scoring position in the first half, earned the nickname “The Machine” from Sanchez early in the season.

“I started calling him that when they started shifting and he was hitting against the shift,” Sanchez said. “They went left, he’d hit right, they’d go right, and he’d hit left. I mean, it’s impressive to do that.”

As is the case with many who have achieved offensive success at the hitter’s haven that is Coors Field, LeMahieu got tagged with the unwanted “product of Coors” label. The reserved LeMahieu, self-described as “low-key,” said it never bothered him.

“I don’t think it was necessarily true,” he said. “I feel like I’m a pretty good hitter no matter where I’m at. Obviously, Coors Field is a great place to hit, there’s no doubt about that. But I feel like I’m a good hitter no matter where I’m at, no matter who I’m facing.”

By Erik Boland

erik.boland@newsday.comeboland11

Erik Boland started in Newsday's sports department in 2002. He covered high school and college sports, then shifted to the Jets beat. He has covered the Yankees since 2009.