The Yankees have found their replacement for Sean Casey, announcing Monday afternoon that they have hired James Rowson to be their next hitting coach.
The 47-year-old Rowson was an assistant hitting coach with the Tigers last season, a team that posted the third-worst OPS last season, and the fourth-worst batting average. Prior to that, he was a bench coach with the Marlins.
Prior to his tenure in Miami, Rowson was the hitting coach for the Twins from 2017-19, which included a record-breaking home run season from the “Bomba Squad” Twins in 2019.
Rowson also spent seven years as the Yankees minor league hitting coordinator before taking the job in Minnesota after the 2016 season.
Casey revealed earlier this month that he notified the Yankees that he would not be returning as hitting coach in 2024, citing family priorities, though he noted that he believes he could have had the job back had he been willing to return. Casey had taken over for Dillon Lawson, who was a rare Yankees in-season firing this year.
Rowson will be tasked with improving a Yankee offense that cratered in 2023 after being among the best in baseball since 2017, and helping key bats like Giancarlo Stanton return to form after batting .191 in 2023.