The Chicago Cubs selected D.J. LeMahieu in the second round (79th overall) of the 2009 draft. LeMahieu opened a lot of eyes in a short time in pro ball last season ... and is one of the many fine middle infield prospects in the Cubs' system. LeMahieu is currently in Florida State League with the Daytona Cubs (High-A).
D.J. LeMahieu doesn't have the best range at shortstop. With Starlin Castro, Darwin Barney and Hak-Ju Lee already fixed at that position, he will be playing a lot of second base and may find that to be his permanent position. Third base could also be an option down the line, but LeMahieu has yet to show the power most teams like in a third baseman.
LeMahieu hasn't shown a lot of power yet, but the Cubs think the power may eventually develop. He can hit from gap to gap well, has a solid stroke and he hits a lot of line drives. He has average speed and good plate discipline. LeMahieu is fundamentally sound and he plays the game the right way. If he develops some power and continues to hit like he has so far for the Cubs' farm teams, he should make a very solid all around major leaguer in the future.
Full Name: David John LeMahieu
Height: 6'4"
Weight: 193lbs.
Age: 21 (July 13, 1988)
2010 Baseball-America Ranking: 10
Bats/Throws: R/R
Position: SS/2B
Experience
Two years at Louisiana State University 2008-2009
2009: 41 minor league games
Stats
LSU 2008 - .337/.386/.457 - 68 games
LSU 2009 - .350/.422/.482 - 72 games
Minor Leagues: 2009 -.323/.376/.384 at Class-A Peoria (38 games) and Rookie Ball (three games)
2010 - .245/.309/.265 in 12 games
Quotes from Tim Wilken, the Cubs Director of Amateur and Professional Scouting on D.J. LeMahieu:
"He runs average, plays the game well and is going to have some power down the road," Wilken said of LeMahieu. "But it's going to be a few years. It's going to be three to four years in my mind before you see that he has that kind of pop."
"He handled the bat really good in the Cape Cod League (last) summer. He hits the ball really well to the other side of the field. When you know you've got a guy that can hit the ball the other way that well ... the hitting instructors will tell you that nine times out of 10, this guy will have a chance to pull the ball with authority as he gets older and stronger."
Interesting Tidbits
- The VineLine editors are predicting D.J. LeMahieu and Hak-Ju Lee to make the biggest splashes in Twenty-Ten.
- D.J. LeMahieu played college ball at LSU, the same as Ryan Theriot and Mike Fontenot.
- As the leadoff hitter at Brother Rice High School, D.J. excelled in his senior year. He hit .574 with 16 doubles, seven triples, eight home runs, 32 RBI, scored 70 runs and stole 39 bases with a slugging percentage of 1.034.
- He played in the College World Series in 2008 and 2009, and was named to the 2009 College World Series All Tournament Team.
I hope that LeMahieu is able to pull the ball with authority as Tim Wilken feels he will down the road. The Cubs had a very good second baseman that is managing in Iowa that could hit the ball with power to left field.
The Cubs have depth up the middle in their system. Here's an article from late in the off-season: No Shortage of Middle Infielders in the Cubs System
References:
LSU Sports, Scout.com, Baseball-Reference, The Baseball Cube
CCO Prospect Profiles:
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