The New York Yankees are bringing on a three-time All-Star with a career average of over .300 to be their hitting coach for the rest of the season.
Monday was a busy morning and afternoon for the New York Yankees. They made headlines early in the day when they fired hitting coach Dillon Lawson. With the team unlikely to win the American League East and sitting just outside the Wild Card picture, heads were expected to roll for that showing this far into the season. With manager Aaron Boone receiving a vote of support from the team’s owner recently, Lawson was an obvious choice to land on the chopping block.
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While the New York Yankees’ 49-42 record can be blamed on several issues, their hitting has been one of the most prominent reasons for their struggles this season. Their .231 batting average is tied with the lowly Detroit Tigers and Oakland Athletics for worst in MLB. The Yanks are also 26th in on-base percentage and 29th in total hits. Their expensive and talent-rich lineup has been a massive disappointment thus far in 2023.
New York Yankees record (2023): 49-42
In pursuit of getting a different voice into the batting cages, the New York Yankees made a very unorthodox decision for the replacement to Lawson. On Monday afternoon, The Athletic MLB Insider Ken Rosenthal reported that former Cincinnati Reds star “Sean Casey will indeed be the Yankees’ next hitting coach.”
Sean Casey was a top-shelf hitter in the league when he played 11 seasons from 1997 to 2008. Casey hit .300 or better six times, including a .332 season in 1999. On paper, it would make sense to bring in a three-time All-Star with a strong hitting pedigree. However, the addition of the MLB Network analyst is surprising because Casey has no coaching experience at the minor or major league level.
The move likely was one pushed for by Boone. The 50-year-old played six seasons with Casey during his stint with the Reds before moving to the Yankees during the 2003 season.