The New York Yankees lost to the Toronto Blue Jays in four games in the American League Division Series. The loss brings their championship drought to 15 seasons, the second-longest in franchise history. Fans are clamoring for changes in the front office and on the bench, and they should happen. The Yankees have to fire manager Aaron Boone after the brutal loss to the Blue Jays.
Boone had never been an MLB coach before when Brian Cashman plucked him out of the ESPN booth to become the Yankees manager. Losing to the 108-win 2018 Boston Red Sox team was not an indictment of a rookie manager. The 2019 ALCS loss to the Houston Astros was a great series between two excellent teams. But heading into a new decade, the expectations were at a fever pitch.
Since that turn of the decade, the Yankees have ended their season in flaming, embarrassing fashion each year. The Tampa Bay Rays dominated them in the shortened 2020 season, they lost to Boston again in 2021, were swept in the ALCS in 2022, and missed the postseason in 2023. Missing the postseason during a Gerrit Cole Cy Young season wasn't enough. But the last two playoff losses have to be.
The Yankees were the punchline of the sports world after Game 5 of the 2024 World Series. Now, a clip of David Ortiz and Vladimir Guerrero Jr dancing on their graves in front of Derek Jeter has millions of views. The Yankees have prided themselves for years on being the class of North American sports. Under Aaron Boone, whether it is his fault or not, they have become a punching bag.
Fans who defend coaches often warn against “change for the sake of change.” But that is exactly what this Yankees core needs heading into a vital 2026 season.
Who can replace Aaron Boone as Yankees manager?
The best argument for keeping Aaron Boone is that a new manager won't change things. Brian Cashman is still in charge and wants the analytics used the way he wants to use them. The storybook “feel” that Joe Torre, Terry Francona, and Bruce Bochy had, or have, is gone from the Yankee organization. Whoever the 2026 Yankee manager is, they will be guided with a heavy hand from Cashman.
The obvious candidate is Brad Ausmus, a two-time manager who has been the Yankees' bench coach for the past two seasons. But that is not changing things enough. A new message is needed for this core to get over the hump. Ausmus won't provide that.
The Texas Rangers wasted no time hiring Skip Schumaker as their next skipper, taking one of the best candidates off the board. Former Cubs manager and catcher David Ross could be a strong candidate, as could ex-outfielder Torii Hunter. Cashman showed no issues going with a first-time manager with Boone, and Hunter has been on the Angels' coaching staff in recent years.
The Yankees will likely not fire Aaron Boone, even after a team celebrated on their field for the second straight year. They believe in this process, even with the unquestionable proof that it is not good enough, and will keep it going in 2026. They also gave Boone a three-year extension after losing in the World Series. That deal ends after 2027.
Firing Boone would not change much. Their minor-league development is not up to par with their contenders. Players like Austin Wells and Anthony Volpe have not become legitimate MLB players, despite countless opportunities. Meanwhile, bench players like Jose Caballero play smarter games than the high prospects the Yankees have failed to develop.
That is not all on the manager, even if those players could have spent more time in the minors. A full cleaning of the house is needed after another playoff failure. That won't happen, so firing Boone would just be sacrificial to make the fans happy for a few minutes. There is organizational rot that ownership and the GM don't notice. And one day, that rot will cause the whole house to collapse. Until then, “That's Life” will keep playing as rivals celebrate knocking off the former Evil Empire.
