The New York Yankees have gotten off to a terrific start, leading MLB with the best record after a recent 11-1 stretch. Manager Aaron Boone has been a crucial part of the teams’ success, as the Yanks are currently 18-7 and await a three-game set against the Texas Rangers.
Although the narrative around Boone hasn’t necessarily been great since he has taken over as New York’s manager back in 2018, the team hasn’t missed the postseason under his watch despite some disappointing finishes.
This season in particular stands out, though, as he has made minimal mistakes and multiple clutch decisions. Now in his fifth season as Yankees manager, he has grown into one of the league’s better managers.
Aaron Boone has done a fantastic job managing the Yankees pitching staff
The Yankees have one of the best bullpens in MLB, with one of the best ERAs in all of baseball. From top to bottom, the team’s bullpen is loaded. Not only do they have Aroldis Chapman who has yet to let up an earned run, but they also have Michael King, Miguel Castro, and Clay Holmes, all of whom all have ERAs at 2.00 or below.
Not only has the ‘pen been lights out, but so has the starting rotation. Nestor Cortes is having the best season of his career, as he currently sports a 1.82 ERA. Gerrit Cole will most likely regain his ace-level form (based on his last few outings), and then this rotation will officially be among the best in baseball.
The team has also received consistent quality outings from Jordan Mongomery, Jameson Taillon and Luis Severino, who fans are hoping can put together a strong comeback season.
A major reason for this rotation’s success has been Boone. He has done an amazing job getting the best out of every pitcher by putting them in the right positions to succeed and letting pitching coach Matt Blake impart his wisdom. Boone’s had a much better feel when to remove the starters this year, and it’s shown.
And the Yankees’ offense? Aaron Boone has it clicking for the most part
During the first few games of the season, the Yankees’ offense was unwatchable at times. Boone was experimenting with different leadoff hitters, using Anthony Rizzo, Josh Donaldson and even Aaron Hicks in that role.
But during the team’s 11-game win streak, Boone seemed to have found an everyday lineup, which is generating runs (or at least consistent hits and walks). Aaron Judge has flourished in the number 2 spot, and Rizzo is producing at a high level right behind him. DJ LeMahieu has also found himself as the team’s leadoff hitter once again, and he has been one of the best at his job so far.
Outside of the batter’s box, the Bombers are running the bases very well. Boone has this Yankees team being aggressive on the base paths, which has led to more runs being scored due to the pressure put on the defense. Last season, the team ranked 19th in stolen bases per game, and now rank eighth in 2022.
The offense is finding ways to produce runs without hitting the long ball, which is an important element the 2020 and 2021 rosters struggled with. This aggressiveness and crafty play should continue because it’s obvious how much it’s positively impacted the team.
Yankees’ outlook with Aaron Boone leading the charge
With the way this Yankees team has been playing to start the season, it’s reminiscent of 2019. In Boone’s fifth season, it isn’t wild to say that he might have finally put it all together after experiencing some drastic highs and lows in New York.
For four consecutive seasons the Yanks have made the postseason under Boone, but couldn’t reach the Fall Classic. There’s no guarantee it’ll happen this year, but Boone’s early-season contributions indicate he might be in the best position yet to shift the narrative in a colossal way.
NSFW close-up video of Aaron Boone losing mind on umpire during Yankees loss is epic
New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone went ballistic on an umpire during Wednesday night's game against the Blue Jays and it was hilarious.