Who is James Rowson?
On Monday, the Yankees rehired their former minor league hitter coordinator, James Rowson, as the new hitting coach. Rowson worked as the Yankees minor league hitting coordinator from 2014-16 when notable names such as Aaron Judge, Gary Sanchez, and Greg Bird emerged. Rowson is excited to work with the Yankees captain again, as the two formed a strong bond. The pair will help bring consistency to the Yankees offense, which has struggled recently.
Before accepting his new role, Rowson was the Minnesota Twins hitting coach, and Minnesota was always among the league’s best in offensive categories. Since taking over in 2019, the Twins were fourth in runs scored, fifth in batting average and slugging, and sixth in OPS. The twins were in the top five for almost all offensive categories. This has much to do with Rowson’s philosophy for hitting and what the Yankees front office is counting on to bring major success.
The New York Yankees today announced that James Rowson has been named the club’s hitting coach. pic.twitter.com/XqRgr9kNQ5
— New York Yankees (@Yankees) November 13, 2023
What James Rowson will have to do
During the interviewing process, Yankees General Manager Brian Cashman told the candidates they would have to fix Giancarlo Stanton. This will be no small task as the former MVP is coming off the worst season of his career, batting 191 with 24 home runs. However, Rowson’s hitting philosophy of adjusting to what a player feels comfortable doing may significantly help the team. Rowson will allow players to hit for launch angle and home runs. If it is not what the player is comfortable doing, he will adjust to ensure they do what’s best for them. For example, if a player is more comfortable hitting to the opposite field, Rowson will allow them to follow their approach.
This philosophy has proven effective and evidenced in Rowson’s time with the Twins and working with Aaron Judge. Rowson should be able to extract the maximum from his players because he allows them to do what makes them successful. He will use analytics to guide the players but still allow them to direct their own approach. Ultimately, this philosophical idea seems like a winning combination, as the Yankees desperately need a turnaround in their offensive production.
Main Photo Credits: Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK
