The New York Yankees were in disarray last season. The leading cause of that struggle was their ineffectual hitting.
That led to Brian Cashman sacking a coach before the end of the season for the first time in his career. While things barely improved then, the Pinstripes have seemingly turned a new leaf this offseason. The appointment of James Rowson has met with a lot of cheers, especially from their captain – Aaron Judge.
The Pinstripes’ primary issue last season was the apparent disconnect between their coaching staff and the players. This lack of communication proved to be a bane for much of the organization. As a result, the Yankees have had a small-scale revolution in their front office with the change in their analytics team and the appointment of a new hitting coach.
In Rowson, they’ve found a coach who is an expert plus has great communication skills. Due to his honest critiques, the coach has found players flogging around him. The Athletic reported that Aaron Judge is one player who is highly impressed by Rowson. “He gets the side of the analytics and the swing mechanics, the biomechanics of your swing,” said Aaron Judge.
“But he also understands game planning and being in the box, and what it means to stand in the box when you’re really facing 98 mph with some sink and a nasty slider,” declared All Rise. Rowson has brought a wealth of experience with him, having spent time as a hitting coach in the Detroit Tigers and the Minnesota Twins. He was the bench coach of the Miami Marlins as well.
→ Swipe to see more articles
So it’s obvious he’s getting respect from the Yankees clubhouse. But there’s one more reason for this – the relationship between Aaron Judge and James Rowson goes back years.
Aaron Judge’s previous experience with James Rowson
From 2014 to 16, Rowson worked as a hitting coordinator for the Yankees. During this time, Judge was exploding into the scene as the next big thing in baseball. They both used to go back and forth with each other regarding Judge’s hitting technique. This fostered a relationship that has stood the test of time.
“It’s lasted because of the way we built it,” Rowson shared. “It was built on being honest. It was built on trust, and it was built on having that back-and-forth conversation that we have about hitting. We talk through it,” the coach finished. Judge had something similar to say as well.
“He challenges me every single day and we go back and forth on things, which is great. I love it,” the Yankees captain shared about James Rowson. Their words reveal the immense respect that they have for each other. With the entire clubhouse in full support of him, Rowson’s methods certainly seem to be working.
