TAMPA, Fla. -- The line drives off DJ LeMahieu’s bat look more “explosive” this spring, according to manager Aaron Boone, who already seems prepared to anoint a favorite in the camp battle to serve as the Yankees’ leadoff hitter.

Even before a Grapefruit League game has been played, Boone acknowledged that his preference would be to slot the 35-year-old LeMahieu as the table-setter in the top spot, getting on base to create traffic ahead of Juan Soto, captain Aaron Judge and Anthony Rizzo.

“When I’m going, I think I can really help us in the leadoff spot,” LeMahieu said on Wednesday. “We’ll just kind of see how the lineup shakes out, but I’m just excited to be part of this lineup in general -- more excited to be part of this lineup than in a little while.”

That’s because after more than a calendar year battling lower-half woes, LeMahieu finally feels he has a solid base underneath him, which he believes can restore his above-average ability to drive and spray the ball.

“I’m feeling a big year out of DJ again,” Judge said. “Just the work he’s put in, the laser focus he always has. I feel like he’s picked it up a notch even this year coming into camp, which I’m excited about.”

Better health permitted LeMahieu to show signs of improvement in the second half last year, when he posted a .273 batting average with an .809 OPS in 60 games, a marked improvement over the .220 batting average and .642 OPS that LeMahieu compiled in 76 games before the All-Star break. 

“Listen, last year was a bad year,” LeMahieu said. “But I definitely could take some positives away from the second half, at least. Overall, I’m just looking to turn the page on last year, collectively and individually.”

Yankees ace Gerrit Cole called LeMahieu “a quiet leader who has a ton of respect in the room.”

“He shows up every day,” Cole said. “He puts on a stoic persona, whether he’s feeling great or he’s not feeling great; whether he’s having success or he’s not. His abilities at the front of the lineup are well-known. His on-base percentage should float somewhere around .400.

“He obviously has tremendous opposite-field ability and power, which plays really well in our stadium. His veteran leadership and gamesmanship fit really well in that role as leadoff; his ability to communicate and see pitches, and also drive in runs. To see him thriving in the leadoff spot would be really good for the Yankees.”

LeMahieu said he worked throughout the offseason, resuming training shortly after the Yanks’ season-ending loss on Oct. 1 in Kansas City. He spent much of the winter at the Yankees’ player development facility in Tampa.

“The Yankees do a great job with having people available to the guys that are down here,” LeMahieu said. “It’s made me want to spend a lot more time down here, especially because of the Minor League coaches that are here. We’re able to hit, run, get in training, get in the weight room.

“Everything we need is down here. So for me, there’s really no better place to be, with all the resources we have down here and all the people that want to help us get on the right track.”

Who led the Yankees in hits and RBIs during Spring Training in 2023?

A) Oswaldo Cabrera
B) Jasson Domínguez
C) Aaron Judge
D) Anthony Volpe

Marcus Stroman's  growing throwback apparel collection has garnered attention around Yankees camp.

The right-hander arrived sporting the on-field cap worn by Derek Jeter and his Yankees teammates after winning the 1998 World Series, and on at least two occasions, he’s been spotted in a T-shirt that appears to date from the Bombers’ 2004 home opener.

“I love vintage; that’s all I’m usually in, vintage clothing,” Stroman said. “I have a few buddies that will find everything, pretty much. The second I came over here, it definitely was a priority to find some New York vintage.”

No wonder Stroman opted to wear his full pinstriped uniform for a live batting practice session at George M. Steinbrenner Field on Monday.

“Playing for the New York Yankees as an organization is like the pinnacle of the sport,” Stroman said. “When you embark on this journey to play at the highest level, I feel like everyone wants to be a Yankee at some point.”

So where might Stroman have been for that April 8, 2004, home opener, a 3-1 win over the White Sox?

“I was 13; I don’t know,” Stroman said. “Probably sipping on some lemonade or something, practicing on a back field with my dad [Earl].”

“Last night, when I saw who I was facing, I was like, ‘It looks like a tryout again for me.’ It’s fun and exciting. The competition is always wanted and needed, especially this early in camp.” -- Nestor Cortes, on the challenge of facing Soto, Judge and Giancarlo Stanton in a live batting practice session

A) Cabrera

In a useful reminder that Spring Training statistics may not necessarily translate into the regular season, Cabrera paced the 2023 Yankees in hits (18) and RBIs (14) in Grapefruit League play, batting .333.  

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