Aaron Boone has told reporters that he sees DJ LeMahieu leading off in his optimal Yankee lineup, leading some fans to call for speed in front of Juan Soto and Aaron Judge, not an oft-injured aging veteran.
C-Mac says those clamoring for such a lineup are stuck in the past.
“People get so hung up on lineup construction. I think it is one of the more overblown aspects of a baseball team,” C-Mac said. “Do you want your best players hitting at the top of the lineup and getting the most at-bats? Sure.
“A lot of Yankee fans are concerned about the speed of DJ LeMahieu at the leadoff position, as if this is going to be some major problem. If DJ can hit and get on base, that’s what it’s about. We’ve evolved in the game of baseball. Yeah, speed is nice, but look at the different teams - everyone going nuts about Philadelphia and being built for the playoffs, Kyle Schwarber is their leadoff hitter!”
Schwarber is a high-strikeout, low batting average hitter with no speed, yet the Phillies have played in a World Series and NLCS in the past two seasons. C-Mac says as long as the Yankees’ key contributors hit, it doesn’t matter who is leading off.
“Everybody clamoring for Volpe to be the leadoff hitter for this team…I’m not looking for speed at the top of the order,” C-Mac said. “It’s a nice commodity if the guy at the top of the order gets on base. If DJ LeMahieu can get on base, then I think he’s perfect for the top of the order.”
