The 2020 MLB season is well underway, and some players are getting off to hotter starts than others as per usual. Of course, one of them is Yankees 2B DJ LeMahieu.
The team MVP in 2019, LeMahieu truly picked up right where he left off, as he is currently hitting .415 over his first 10 games. But there are several hitters who are sitting over, or flirting with, that coveted .400-plus batting average as well:
- Astros’ Michael Brantley: .438 (nine games)
- Giants’ Donovan Solano: .436 (11 games)
- Astros’ Carlos Correa: .400 (11 games)
- Mariners’ Kyle Lewis: .385 (13 games)
For LeMahieu, it’s almost identical to what he did last season in pinstripes. His first 11 games saw a .410 average with five doubles and five RBI over 39 at-bats. This time around, he has two homers with one double and five RBI.
Can LeMahieu sustain this average throughout the 60-game season? By Game 60 last year, it had dipped well below that mark at .314, though he was still producing at a great rate.
But let’s say LeMahieu – or anyone else for that matter – does accomplish the extremely rare feat. Does it truly count given it’s 60 games and not 162? Does it get put in the record books?
Ted Williams was the last man to make it through a full season with a .406 average back in 1941. Players have hovered around the .400 club since then but could never attain its glory.
As this season continues, though, we should see more players like these coming close to it and LeMahieu could very well be on that list.