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DJ LeMahieu is not a Hall of Famer. But his credentials — notably, four Gold Gloves, three All-Star appearances, two batting titles and a pair of top four AL MVP finishes — will land him on the Cooperstown ballot five years after retirement.

And while that is not immortality, it is a great accomplishment, signaling a career in the top 10 percent all time.

He has that. And respect. To play with LeMahieu — at LSU, with the Rockies or with the Yankees — is to know how fiercely dedicated he is to his craft; what a good, serious teammate he has been. “From the second he showed up here [in 2019] and he wasn’t even a starting player and ended up leading us to the playoffs playing any position without saying a word,” Aaron Judge said. “He has always been on the top of that list [of admired teammates] in this clubhouse”

It is why his internal fan club is so strong with the Yankees. No one doubts where LeMahieu’s heart and priorities are.