DJ LeMahieu Being Yankees' Only 2019 Silver Slugger is Further Proof His Signing Was Pure Brilliance

We're still coming to grips with the travesty that was DJ LeMahieu getting left off the American League MVP Ballot this week.

The BBWAA did right by including Mike Trout and Alex Bregman, though they shouldn't get a pat on the back because they were obvious choices. Somehow, however, they determined that the Athletics' Marcus Semien was more deserving of the nod than LaMahieu. Unfortunately for DJ, he will have to settle for a 2019 Silver Slugger award, and this feat proves just how pivotal his signing was for the New York Yankees in 2019 in a year wracked by injuries.

Let's pause and think about the stars featured in Aaron Boone's everyday lineup card. Now think about how LeMahieu was the only one of the bunch to take home a Silver Slugger honor.

Across 602 at-bats, the three-time All-Star hit .327 and set career highs in three major categories: 26 home runs, 33 doubles, and 102 RBI. That total of 102 runs driven in is utterly mind-blowing considering that he batted leadoff for the bulk of the year.

For a season in which the Yankees were ravaged by countless ailments up and down the roster, LeMahieu (and Gleyber Torres, to be fair) was the only true mark of consistency from April to October.

We don't even want to think where the Yankees offense would have been in 2019 if not for LeMahieu's valiant efforts. He even brought the Bombers back from the dead (momentarily) in Game 6 of the ALCS.

The 31-year-old just never stopped hitting, and one could certainly make the case that he deserves even more hardware on top of his Silver Slugger honor. He was simply that valuable to the Yanks.