4 years agoNew York Yankees second baseman DJ LeMahieu followed up his incredible 2019 campaign by hitting .364/.421/.590 in 216 plate appearances in 2020. LeMahieu added 10 home runs and 27 RBI and led the American League in batting average, on-base percentage, and OPS with 1.011. Looking ahead to 2021, there is no reason to think LeMahieu, who finished third in the 2020 AL MVP voting and remains in New York, can't repeat this performance. LeMahieu's 2020 elite hitting metrics, including hard-hit rate, overall exit velocity, contact rate, and strikeout rate, all supported his performance and firmly suggest a repeat for 2021. While his overall launch angle declined to just 2.9 degrees in 2020 (from 6.5 degrees in 2019), LeMahieu still posted an elite 94.4 mph exit velocity on FB/LD, which was in the top-50 in all of MLB for qualified batters. Though the declined launch angle may suggest more ground balls and, therefore, a decline in HR totals for 2021, LeMahieu's FB/LD exit velocity should mitigate any such regression. With an ADP of 29, LeMahieu is about as safe of a draft pick as they come. Managers should confidently roster LeMahieu in the early rounds of drafts. He will provide managers with elite batting average, OBP, runs, RBI, and 20 HR potential hitting in a great lineup and hitters' park. His multi-position eligibility in the infield only adds to his elite fantasy status for 2021.--Nick Ritrivi - RotoBaller