Aaron Boone Eager to See Dillon Lawson’s Impact at Big League Level
After three seasons as the organization’s minor league hitting coordinator, the Yankees decided Dillon Lawson was ready for The Show.
The 36-year-old was recently named New York’s new hitting coach, replacing Marcus Thames on the major league staff. Lawson previously served as a hitting coach at the Single-A levels of the Astros’ system (2016, 2018) and at the University of Missouri in 2017.
None of that is quite the same as being a major league staffer, but the Yankees believe Lawson is more than deserving of his promotion after years of player development.
“He’s kind of earned this opportunity based on the quality of work we’ve seen from him and the impact we’ve seen him have on hitters,” Aaron Boone said of Lawson after New York’s 2022 staff was announced.
READ: Aaron Boone Explains How Eric Chavez Fits on New York's Coaching Staff
Lawson certainly did a strong job coordinating New York’s minor league hitters in his last gig. Per the team, Yankees minor leaguers rank fourth in slugging percentage (.404) and OPS (.743) since 2019. They’re sixth in on-base percentage (.339) and runs per game (5.12) over that span. The club’s full-season affiliates are fourth in homers (1,134) since then.
This past season was particularly fruitful under Lawson’s watch, as New York’s minor leaguers ranked first in slugging percentage (.435) and OPS (.792), second in OBP (.358), third in runs per game (5.80) and seventh in batting average (.253).
“He’s had a really, really strong impact on our minor leagues,” Boone said. “Really, across the board, all our levels were really dynamic offensively. I feel like he’s had a really strong impact on not only our top prospects, but even some fringe guys.”
Boone and the Yankees are now hoping Lawson’s minor league work translates to the next level, where he’ll be joined by assistant hitting coaches Casey Dykes and Eric Chavez. They’re currently barred from talking to New York’s big leaguers due to the MLB lockout, but Boone said Lawson was able to get a few “meaningful sessions and conversations” in before that began.
“I do feel like he’s off to a really good start with a lot of our players,” Boone said. “[We’re] really excited about what he can do. Now we get to see it at the big league level and hopefully really have a positive impact on our offense.”
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