The Yankees entered the 2023 MLB All-Star break on a low note, having dropped two of three games to the Cubs on their home field.
With the New York offense struggling mightily since Aaron Judge went down with a toe injury, GM Brian Cashman has decided to shake things up with an unprecedented move.
According to Bryan Hoch of MLB.com, the Yankees officially dismissed hitting coach Dillon Lawson following Sunday’s loss against Chicago. At this time, the organization indicated a replacement has not been named.
It’s the first time that Cashman has ever fired a coach in-season across his 26 years in the organization’s front office.
The GM released a statement regarding his decision to part ways with Lawson, who had been the hitting coach in the Bronx since the 2022 season.
“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. I am a big believer that successes and failures are collective efforts,” said Cashman in part of his statement.
“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.”
Heading into the All-Star break, the Yankees rank 28th in MLB in batting average and 21st in OPS. In the month of June, the team hit an MLB-worst .208 at the plate. In need of a major boost, Cashman has opted to pull the plug on Lawson’s time as hitting coach, hoping it will inject some life into the stagnant offense.
