yankees head coach declear his departure
Casey mentioned his family as the main reason for his departure, wanting to prioritise spending time with his two teenage daughters. He called his experience on the Yankees’ coaching staff this summer—his first MLB coaching gig—one of the best experiences of his life.
“I just can’t imagine being away for eight months in New York, while they’re here in Pittsburgh,” Casey added. “For me, I just decided to get back to what I was doing before I joined the Yankees.”
Casey was hired in July after the firing of Dillon Lawson. While he successfully injected a fresh perspective into the coaching staff — connecting well with all players thanks to his extensive experience during his playing career and his boisterous personality — the Yankees’ production on offense didn’t improve.
In the first half, under Lawson, the Yankees had a .231 batting average and a .711 OPS, averaging just under 4.5 runs per game. With Casey leading the charge the rest of the way, the Yankees hit .221 with a .688 OPS, scoring 3.85 runs per game.
When Casey arrived, he pledged to utilize old-school hitting philosophies, bringing along an understanding of analytics with his individualized approach to coaching. Yankees veterans enjoyed working with Casey — many endorsed the hitting coach before the end of the regular season, expressing that they would be in favor of running it back with him next season — but deep-seated issues within the organization remained.
As Brendan Kuty of The Athletic reported on Wednesday, there was an underlying disconnect between the approach taught within the organization’s farm system — developed by Lawson — and Casey’s methods in the second half. That could’ve been the catalyst for several rookies struggling offensively down the stretch, suddenly changing certain habits after being promoted to the majors.
Lawson’s “hit strikes hard” mentality didn’t translate to the big-league level, but it’s been largely effective for the Yankees in the minor leagues. As the organization looks in the mirror this winter, deciphering what led to their worst season in three decades, that needs to be kept in mind.
That’s the balance that the Yankees must strike as they search for Casey’s replacement. Finding a coach that can connect with hitters and increase their confidence behind the scenes should be just as much of a priority as finding an instructor that’s an expert in utilizing analytics. In that sense, having Casey around for the second half of the year after Lawson’s tenure should’ve helped the Yankees learn more about what type of hitting coach they’d benefit from having around in the future.
This isn’t as simple as swapping bodies and trusting that results will change. Take it from Aaron Judge, a prominent voice in asking for change across the organization this winter. The captain was fond of Casey, but he also criticized the way the Yankees funnel numbers down to players. If the Yankees can figure out how to carry the success of their affiliates to the big-league level while also making tweaks to organizational philosophies, especially the way they consume the numbers at their disposal, they’ll be in better shape next spring.
It goes without saying that the Yankees need to improve their lineup as well. A coaching staff can only do so much with a flawed roster. Adding bats this offseason should be at the top of general manager Brian Cashman’s to-do list. Talent, lineup balance and youth, acquiring more left-handed hitters and developing the phenoms that are poised to be mainstays in pinstripes — like Anthony Volpe, Austin Wells and Jasson Domínguez — must be a priority.
