Colorado Rockies’ faithful were welcomed with a blast from the past on Wednesday.
Per a league announcement, alongside Charlie Blackmon, former second baseman, D.J. LeMahieu was given a Player of the Month nod for June.
The National League salute for Blackmon is the second of his career. Intertwined in his historic run was an NL Player of the Week award as well. For LeMahieu, it was his first monthly accolade after also accruing his first Player of the Week in June.
In June, Blackmon hit a league-leading .412 and launched 10 home runs. He also became just the third player in franchise history to hit at least .410, slug at least .835 and hit 10-or-more home runs. Both Todd Helton and Larry Walker also accomplished the feat.
On the year, his home run total is up to 20, more than halfway to his career-high mark of 37. He’s also on pace to break his record of 104 runs driven in from the leadoff spot.
Battled by a rigorous NL race, the accomplishment is one that the outfielder knows comes in the face of many adversaries.
“There (are) so many good players in the league,” Blackmon said. “To be recognized as one of the top guys over a 25-30 game span is really nice.”
In the other league, LeMahieu winning the award came as no surprise to the Rockies.
“I’m a D.J. fan,” Manager Bud Black said. “I think we all knew, where D.J. landed, wherever that may be, he was going to be the same steady and dependable player that he was for us.”
LeMahieu spent the last seven seasons with the organization after being acquired in a trade with the Chicago Cubs in 2011. In his time with the Rockies, he hit .299 and played a pivotal role near the top of the lineup.
Before the year, the club brought in Daniel Murphy, deciding to let the veteran go to the New York Yankees in an identical two-year, $24 million deal.
In June, LeMahieu hit .395 and ripped 16 extra-base hits. He finished the month on a 14-game hitting streak and became the first Yankees’ hitter to tally multi-hit games in six-or-more consecutive contests since Carlos Beltran in 2014.
He’s the first Yankee to win a Player of the Month since Didi Gregorious in April 2018.