Sean Casey Won’t Return as Yankees’ Hitting Coach in 2024, Citing Family Reasons
Sean Casey is stepping aside to spend more quality time with his family, saying he won’t return for a second season as the New York Yankees’ hitting coach in 2024.
The 49-year-old announced his decision during Wednesday’s episode of his podcast, “The Mayor’s Office with Sean Casey.” He cited a desire to prioritize being a more prominent father figure to his two teenage daughters, whose parents divorced a few years ago.
Casey was hired by the Yankees last July after the dismissal of hitting coach Dillon Lawson, who began as a minor-league staff member in 2018 before receiving a promotion to the big leagues ahead of the 2022 campaign.
“[Aaron Boone] and I had talked about coming back next year and what that would look like, and really before any offer could be exchanged between both of us, I just told him that I’m not going to be able to come back next year because I’ve got my two daughters at home,” Casey said.
“I have those girls 50% of the time,” Casey continued. “I just can’t imagine being away for eight months in New York while they’re here in Pittsburgh.”
The Willingboro, New Jersey, native played 12 MLB seasons from 1997-2008, earning three All-Star selections across 1,405 career games. He previously worked as a baseball analyst for MLB Network and briefly dabbled as a colour commentator for the Boston Red Sox and Cincinnati Reds.
New York’s offense struggled mightily prior to Casey’s arrival, slashing .231/.301/.410 with a 96 wRC+ – four percentage points below league average – in 91 games under Lawson. But their production didn’t improve without him, as the team posted .221/.307/.381 slash line and 92 wRC+ over the final 71 contests.
It’s tough to blame those inefficiencies on a hitting coach, especially considering they worsened after the first one departed. If anything, they revealed more about a flawed roster than an ineffective hitting department.
Casey’s time on the job was brief, but he said representing one of baseball’s oldest and most prestigious franchises is an opportunity he’s incredibly grateful for.
“That whole experience was one of the best experiences of my life,” Casey said. “Being able to wear the pinstripes was actually a dream come true. Brian Cashman was incredible, that whole coaching staff was great, the organization, Hal Steinbrenner, everybody I came across. Nothing like having a chance to walk out to Yankee Stadium every night.”
“It was a tough decision for me, and like I said, there was no offer made. But I do think I could have come back had I wanted to.”
The Yankees must now add hiring a new hitting coach to this off-season’s to-do list, making general manager Brian Cashman’s job even more daunting. On top of that, he’ll also need to improve an ageing roster that significantly underperformed in 2023.
But, unlike last winter, Cashman can rest easy knowing franchise pillar Aaron Judge is signed to a lucrative long-term extension that runs through the 2031 season.
-Thomas Hall
Twitter: @ThomasHall85
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