Boone Not Sweating Staff’s Lack of Big League Playing Experience

Aaron Boone, Mike Harkey and Eric Chavez are the only Yankees coaches who have spent a significant time playing in the majors. That’s not an issue for the manager.

When the Yankees announced their 2022 coaching staff, Eric Chavez undoubtedly stood out.

One of New York’s new assistant hitting coaches, Chavez’s name was certainly the most recognizable among newcomers thanks to a distinguished 17-year MLB career that saw the former third baseman win six Gold Gloves and a Silver Slugger with the A’s before joining the Yankees and Diamondbacks.

The rest of the new coaches were likely mysteries to casual fans, partly because none of their resumes include significant big league playing experience. Chavez became just the third coach under New York’s employment with notable MLB service time, joining manager Aaron Boone and bullpen coach Mike Harkey.

Bench coach Carlos Mendoza, hitting coach Dillon Lawson, assistant hitting coach Casey Dykes, pitching coach Matt Blake, assistant pitching coach Desi Druschel, third base/outfield coach Luis Rojas and quality control/catching coach Tanner Swanson have never played an inning in The Show, though some have MiLB experience. First base/infield coach Travis Chapman has just one MLB at-bat to his name.

For comparison, the 2021 Yankees had five coaches with major league playing experience: Boone, Harkey, Marcus Thames, Phil Nevin and Reggie Willits.

Playing experience used to be the norm for major league coaches, but that has changed over the years. Such resumes still exist in MLB dugouts, but teams have also turned more toward analytics, private training facilities and younger coaches, thus creating variety among staffs. Boone, the owner of a 12-year playing career, believes that’s a positive development.

“For a long time, we were probably a little pigeonholed with, ‘It has to be a guy with big league service time,’” Boone said after his staff was revealed. “That is absolutely of value and part of a checklist that checks a box for a lot of people. Experience matters. What they’ve done matters. But we were also probably closing ourselves off to a lot of really great coaches because, in a lot of ways, that was a prerequisite.

“We’re starting to follow more of an NBA, NFL model where you have coaches that are really good at impacting players. As an industry we’ve probably opened ourselves up to that. I feel like, in the case of a lot of the people we’re adding, they’re gonna impact players.”

READ: Yankees Announce 2022 Coaching Staff

There once was a time when a coach without major league experience may not have commanded the attention of his pupils the same way a coach with shared experiences would have. But again, the game has changed, and Boone believes players just want to know two things: “Can you help me and are you helping me?”

“That, ultimately, is the biggest litmus test and the biggest factor,” Boone said. “A guy that doesn’t have a big league resume from a playing standpoint may have to earn his way a little bit more, perhaps, but once you demonstrate and show that you’re helping a player, that’s all you want.”

MORE:

• Aaron Boone Adjusting to Winter Without His Players
• Reds' Luis Castillo Listed as 'Perfect Trade Target' For Yankees
• Aaron Boone Eager to See Dillon Lawson’s Impact at Big League Level

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