TAMPA — Aaron Judge has been doing it regularly throughout his college career and now James Rowson is beating him to the ground.
During several rounds of batting practice each day, the Yankees’ new hitting coach divides groups of four batters into two teams and instructs them on various game scenarios: runner on second base, runner on third base, one out, infield hit – get the batter. It took me 5 swings to finish the job.
This practice not only creates competition among teammates, but also prepares the Yankees for situations they may encounter during the day’s games.
“It makes you think a little bit, so when you jump into the game situation, you go, ‘Oh, first base, third base, one out? I’ve already done this 20 times,'” Judge said Thursday. “It’s exceptional. … It’s just translated for me all the time. And I like a little competition.”
The pregame routine is part of an emphasis on situational hitting, and DJ LeMahieu said parts of the game “will be held to a higher standard” under Lawson.
The Yankees were one of the worst offensive lines in the majors in every area last season, and situational hitting was no exception.
With hitting coaches Dillon Lawson and Sean Casey, the team posted a .227 batting average with runners in scoring position and a .677 OPS, both of which ranked second from bottom in the majors.
It’s the first time since 2019 that the Yankees have been one of the better teams in the game at bat with runners in scoring position.
This year, he ranked first in both batting average (.294) and OPS (.890) with runners in scoring position.
Unsurprisingly, they scored the most points per game (5.82) in the majors that season.
When Lawson was the Twins’ hitting coach from 2017 to 2019, his offensive output ranked 9th (.268), 3rd (.283) and 2nd (.283) in batting with runners in scoring position. .292).
“I know I’m called a hitting coach, but my goal is to score,” Rowson said. “So when we do situational batting rounds and talk about it, everything we do is move the runner and get closer to that score. So I always keep that in mind. I want to put it in, “Hey, how do I score?” Some days I get a lot of it, and some days it’s hard to get it. So you can’t afford to miss out on the chance to score. ”
So Lawson had the Yankees prepare for such a situation in batting practice. It’s not just for fun, he said, but also a way to get hitters out of “automatic swing mode.”
“I could see the color fading little by little. [around the game] I think that’s important, as it’s been the last few years,” Lawson said of situational striking rounds.
That’s just one reason the Yankees enjoy having Lawson back on the team.
He already has a strong relationship with Judge dating back to their time as the Yankees’ minor league hitting coordinator, and the two appear to have picked up where they left off.
“I was very happy to have the opportunity to have him back here,” Judge said. “Not only does he know how to attack the players, but he always keeps the energy level high. I’ve never seen him come in here without a smile on his face. He’s always locked in and , always ready to go. When you bring that kind of good energy, it rubs off on others.”
The judges appreciate that Lawson speaks each batter’s language and dives deep with his swings when requested.
LeMahieu, who began developing a relationship with the coach during offseason practices at the Yankees’ facility, noted that Lawson “tryes to get his players to be the best version of themselves.”
And Aaron Boone cited Rowson’s ability to connect, communicate, listen and apply.
“He’s an upbeat guy, but he’s also very patient in the way he interacts with guys, the way he feels about guys, the way he talks to guys,” Boone said. “His experience speaks for itself.”
