For the third time in the last two years, the Yankees are on the hunt for a new hitting coach.
Sean Casey will not return next season, the former big leaguer announced on his podcast, “The Mayor’s Office,” on Wednesday.
“It was a tough decision for me,” Casey said. “There was no offer made, but I do think I could have come back had I wanted to. That time right now is not perfect for me.”
Casey mentioned his family as the main reason for his departure, wanting to prioritize spending time with his two teenage daughters. He called his experience on the Yankees’ coaching staff this summer — his first MLB coaching gig — one of the best experiences of his life.
“I just can’t imagine being away for eight months, in New York, while they’re here in Pittsburgh,” Casey added. “For me, I just decided to get back to what I was doing before I joined the Yankees.”
Casey was hired in July after the firing of Dillon Lawson. While he successfully injected a fresh perspective into the coaching staff — connecting well with all players thanks to his extensive experience during his playing career and his boisterous personality — the Yankees’ production on offense didn’t improve.
In the first half, under Lawson, the Yankees had a .231 batting average and a .711 OPS, averaging just under 4.5 runs per game. With Casey leading the charge the rest of the way, the Yankees hit .221 with a .688 OPS, scoring 3.85 runs per game.
When Casey arrived, he pledged to utilize old-school hitting philosophies, bringing along an understanding of analytics with his individualized approach to coaching. Yankees veterans enjoyed working with Casey — many endorsed the hitting coach before the end of the regular season, expressing that they would be in favor of running it back with him next season — but deep-seated issues within the organization remained.
As Brendan Kuty of The Athletic reported on Wednesday, there was an underlying disconnect between the approach taught…
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