Keeping Boone All Year

by Paul Semendinger

November 24, 2024

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Way back in 2017, I wanted the Yankees to retain Joe Girardi as the Yankees manager.  Once they did not renew his contract, I hoped that the Yankees would hire a well-respected smart baseball manager.  I was rooting for Tony Pena to take over.  All of the big names in the mix for the super important job as manager of the Yankees seemed to have experiences as coaches and/or managers in the big leagues.  Each had a strong resume. 

The Yankees then surprised everyone by hiring a person who had never coached or managed at any level - not little league nor high school; not college or in the minor leagues, let alone the Major Leagues.  They hired a complete novice - Aaron Boone.  

Aaron Boone has been the Yankees manager for seven seasons.  The Yankees have won a lot of games with Boone at the helm.  His record of 603-429 (.584) is very good.  Twice he has managed the Yankees to 100 win seasons (though it must be noted that those were his first two seasons and he hasn't reached that mark since).  On the All-Time list of Yankees managers, Aaron Boone is 6th in wins and 8th in Winning Percentage.  Many people point to these numbers as proof that Aaron Boone has done a good job as manager of the New York Yankees.  In seven seasons, he has finished first three times (2019, 2022, 2024), second three times (2018, 2020, 2021) and fourth only once (2023).  That is a strong resume.  

But, if Aaron Boone has had a successful run as the Yankees manager during the regular season, it must be noted that his postseasons have not been as successful:

In 2018, the Yankees won the Wild Card game and then lost the Division Series to the Red Sox 3 games to 1.  

In 2019, the Yankees swept the Twins in the Division Series (3-0) and then lost the A.L. Championship Series 4 games to 2 to the Astros.  

In 2020, the Yankees swept the Indians in the Wild Card Series (2-0) and then lost the Division Series 3 games to 2 to the Rays.  

In 2021, the Yankees lost the Wild Card game to the Boston Red Sox.  

In 2022, the Yankees won the Division Series (3-2) over the Guardians and then lost the A.L. Championship Series 4 games to none to the Astros.

In 2023, the Yankees did not reach the postseason.

In 2024, the Yankees won the Division Series (3-1) over the Royals, the A.L. Championship Series (4-1) over the Guardians, and then lost the World Series 4 games to 1 to the Dodgers.

In the postseason, the Yankees, under Aaron Boone, have gone 22-23.  They have been a sub-.500 team overall in the biggest games.  In the long history of the Yankees, Aaron Boone is tied for last place among managers with zero World Championships.

Over the years, I have called for the Yankees to not renew Aaron Boone's contract.  In some seasons, I have called for him to be fired and replaced mid-season.  (One year I pushed hard to "Bring Back Buck.")  

The Yankees, as I have noted from the start, under Aaron Boone, while they have won many games, have not been fundamentally sound.  (When I first started writing this, many readers took me to task, but over time, my position has been accepted as the correct one.)  The Yankees play an uninspired brand of baseball.  They are not a team that hustles.  They are often lethargic.  The Yankees often make a host of mistakes that wouldn't be acceptable in amateur ball.  It seems to be common knowledge throughout the league that the Yankees often beat themselves.  Aaron Boone has been outmanaged, often, in big games.  And, again, over seven seasons, even with a Cy Young Award winner, two MVP seasons, a host of Gold Gloves and Silver Slugger Awards, and such, the manager has been unable to deliver a World Championship team.

All of this to say, quite obviously, that I do not believe Aaron Boone was an inspiring choice to lead the Yankees and I do not believe he has done a great job, overall, since he's been in that position.  His regular season success, again, is noted, but that cannot be separated from the team's poor style of play and its postseason failures.  

The Yankees, though, have determined that Aaron Boone is the right person to manage the ballclub in 2025.  Aaron Boone will be back as the manager for that season, though, at this point, he has not been given an extension past 2025.  At this point, Aaron Boone gets one more shot before the Yankees have to determine if he'll be the manager after next year.  

With all of this said, it might come as a surprise that I do not believe it would be a good decision to replace Boone during the 2025 season when the Yankees fall into one of their (now predictable and almost traditional) long extended periods of losing baseball.  By the time that happens, I believe, it will be too late to change the manager.  By that point, the die will have already been cast.  

I believe the manager makes a substantial mark on his ballclub when he meets with the General Manager to discuss the ways in which the club will be constructed.  A manager will be high on certain players and less enthusiastic on others.  That's a natural part of any organization.  The team, behind the scenes, often takes the shape, at least in part, of the players that the manager advocates for.  This is the work Aaron Boone and Brian Cashman should be discussing and working on right now.  ("I believe Player D is better than Player P at second base," for example).  

The manager also sets his stamp on the club in Spring Training when he establishes the skills and approaches the team will take.  Some managers spend much time stressing fundamentals.  Other managers focus more on team chemistry.  Some managers run a tight ship, some do not.  The team's character is established in Spring Training.  In February and March, the 2025 Yankees will take the character of their manager, Aaron Boone.  This is (of course) how it works.  

In regard to the Yankees, after seven full seasons, and into the eighth under Aaron Boone, they are a reflection of the manager and his approaches, his strengths, his weaknesses, and his character.  This is how it works with leaders.  Yes, Brian Cashman, as the General Manager, also has an impact on the team, but the day-to-day goings on, are, by definition, a reflection of the leader closest to the team, the manager.  (If one wishes to argue that the team is Brian Cashman's and that Boone only takes orders - something I do not believe - that still becomes a reflection of the manager.)

All this to say, that since the roster and focus and approach of the team will be in large part Aaron Boone's, I believe that he should be given the opportunity to guide the team through the entirety of the 2025 seasons. 

When the Yankees start losing (as they, of course will - all teams go through down periods) the calls will be loud and furious to replace Boone.  I don't plan to be one of those voices (outside of some absolute disaster).  Aaron Boone's teams have shown a propensity for long losing periods, this is true.  What is also true (like it or not) is that Boone's teams have also been resilient enough to bounce back from those long losing periods and play good to great baseball after.  Aaron Boone should not be fired during the season, rather, since it will be his team, the team that is built and conditioned with his mark, he should be permitted to guide the club to whatever ends they reach.  Who knows, it might be a World Championship.  

The 2025 Yankees, from February through October, will be Aaron Boone's team.  Changing the manager midstream won't be beneficial.  One need only to look at the New York Jets of 2024 to see that firing a supposedly weak coach does not always bring positive results.  

If the Yankees decide to go with a new approach, that approach should be one they focus on at the conclusion of the 2025 season.  If Aaron Boone brings them a World Championship, a change wouldn't be necessary. 

(I hope if they do have to go with a new approach that they bring in a manager with a history of success and strong leadership, but that is a discussion for another day.)