ST. PETERSBURG -- Brian Cashman doesn’t have an answer for what he referred to as the “storms” that have seemed to arrive around this time over the past several years, noting that even as the Yankees have shifted out players and personnel, it seems to be “part of their season at a consistent time frame.”
One thing is for certain, though -- Cashman doesn’t believe manager Aaron Boone is an underlying factor. The Yankees’ general manager spoke highly of Boone’s performance on Thursday, despite a 5-15 slide going into the club’s series finale against the Rays at Tropicana Field.
“I think Boone does a great job,” Cashman said, adding, “Nothing different than I’ve always seen. I think he’s a very hard worker, very well connected. I think he’s prepared. I think he’s pulling every lever he possibly can pull. Nothing more than I’ve said before.”
Boone has managed the Yankees since 2018, steering the club to an American League pennant in 2024. Entering Thursday, Boone owned a career managerial record of 747-539 (.581).
Cashman also offered a vote of confidence for hitting coach James Rowson, who is being challenged to direct an underperforming lineup out of a stretch that has seen them average just 2.8 runs per game since June 20 -- the Majors’ lowest total over that span.
“James is a very accomplished hitting coach,” Cashman said. “Our hitting group is very good at what they do. We’re just not playing well right now. That’s just the honest assessment. We haven’t played well for three weeks now, and it’s extremely frustrating when it’s going on.”
Part of the Yankees’ struggles revolve around the absence of captain Aaron Judge, who hasn’t played since late May due to a fractured right rib, but Cashman said it can’t all be pinned on one player.
That also doesn’t explain the swoons of the last several years, including a 6-16 span in 2025 and a 5-16 span in 2024.
“I know ours seem to happen consistently, even though we might have different personnel and stuff at times,” Cashman said. “It’s consistently in the summertime for some reason, but I don’t have an answer for it. We’ve certainly internally had conversations regarding it and trying to figure that out. It may be that the answer might be different every year. But the fact is, it is.”