The New York Yankees are making a change after an underwhelming first half.
The Yankees announced Sunday the firing of hitting coach Dillon Lawson. Lawson had been the team’s hitting coach since the 2022 season, and no immediate replacement was announced for him.
The Yankees have officially dismissed hitting coach Dillon Lawson.
Brian Cashman has never fired a coach in-season. He once told me that he doesn't believe in doing so, and that you need to evaluate each season in full. Clearly, he'd seen enough.
— Bryan Hoch ⚾️ (@BryanHoch) July 9, 2023
Yankees GM Brian Cashman had never made an in-season coaching change in 26 years until this one, which he noted in a press release announcing the move. The GM said he “ultimately felt that a change was needed” to ensure that the Yankees would perform to their capabilities in the second half.
Brian Cashman, via #Yankees press release:
“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,” said Cashman. “I am a big believer that successes and failures are collective efforts. However, I…
— Bryan Hoch ⚾️ (@BryanHoch) July 9, 2023
As reluctant as Cashman may have been to make the change, it’s easy to see why it happened.
The Yankees entered play Sunday tied for the second-lowest team batting average in baseball, and were 19th in average runs per game. Some of that is certainly due to Aaron Judge missing the last month of action because of injury, but there is plenty of talent in the Yankee lineup even beyond him, and accomplished hitters are not getting it done.
The Yankees enter the All-Star break at 49-42, but they are eight games out in the AL East and one game out of the final AL Wild Card spot.
