Former MLB first baseman and current MLB Network personality Sean Casey will be the new hitting coach for the New York Yankees, Ken Rosenthal reports. Joel Sherman adds that Casey's contract, once signed, will run through the rest of the 2023 season, at which point both sides can determine whether a longer and more permanent agreement is desired. Casey will replace Dylan Lawson, who was fired following Sunday's loss to the Cubs and coming out of one of the worst offensive first halves in franchise history.
"It has been well documented that I have been reluctant in the past to make changes to our coaching staff in the middle of a season," GM Brian Cashman said in a statement announcing Lawson's termination. "I am a big believer that successes and failures are collective efforts. However, I ultimately felt that a change was needed and that a new voice overseeing our hitting operations would give us the best chance to perform closer to our capabilities as we move forward into the second half of our season. I want thank Dillon for all his efforts. He has a bright baseball mind that will continue to lead to a long and fruitful baseball career."
It marked the first time the Yankees have fired a coach during the season since Cashman took over as general manager prior to the 1998 season. The team had not changed coaches during the season under any general manager since 1995.
As for the 49-year-old Casey, he remains one of the most affable and well-liked figures in the game. A three-time All-Star, Casey racked up more than 1,500 hits across an MLB career that spanned parts of 12 seasons, eight of which came with the Reds. For much of Casey's time in Cincinnati, he was teammates with Yankees manager Aaron Boone. Casey retired as a player in 2008 with a career batting average of .302.
The Yankees entered play Sunday hitting .230/.300/.409 as a team. They rank 29th in batting average, 27th in on-base percentage, and 14th in slugging percentage. New York is averaging 4.40 runs scored per game, 19th most in baseball. Several veterans, including Giancarlo Stanton and DJ LeMahieu, are having the worst offensive seasons of their career.
Reigning AL MVP Aaron Judge has not played since tearing a ligament in his toe crashing into the Dodger Stadium wall on June 2. Since Judge's injury, the Yankees are hitting .215/.285/.383 and averaging 3.84 runs per game. They are 15-17 in 32 games since Judge got hurt. Obviously losing a player of that caliber hurts, but Judge's absences alone doesn't explain the poor performance.
Sunday's loss dropped the Yankees to 49-42 on the season. They enter the All-Star break one game behind the third and final American League wild-card spot and one game up on last place in the AL East.
