Exploring Sean Casey’s influence on Yankees lineup

The New York Yankees, in their quest to turn their season around, made a significant move by hiring Sean Casey as their new hitting coach. Casey, a former MLB player with a career batting average of .302 over 12 seasons, brings a wealth of experience and knowledge to the role. It's been a month since this hire. Let's explore Casey's impact on the offense since taking over as hitting coach.

Casey's hiring as the Yankees hitting coach surprised many, considering his lack of coaching experience at the MLB level. However, what Casey may lack in coaching pedigree, he more than makes up for with his deep understanding of the game and his ability to connect with players. Known for his positive energy and outgoing personality, Casey has wasted no time immersing himself in his new role.

As Casey stepped into his new position, he recognized the challenges the Yankees offense faced. The team ranked 13th in the league in batting average, 11th in on-base percentage, and 8th in OPS. Casey saw the tension in the Yankees' at-bats and noticed a lack of grinding at-bats that had been a hallmark of the team's success in the past. He knew that changes needed to be made to get the offense back on track.

The performances of Gleyber Torres, Anthony Volpe, Oswaldo Cabrera and Jake Bauers will be critical in evaluating Casey's first month. All four players have shown promise and have the potential to make a significant impact. Torres is in the midst of a career-defining season with his future at stake. His slash line before Casey came on board was .251/.325/.738. Since July 12, with the guidance of Casey and his expertise, Torres has hit .303/.348/.835 over the last 30 games.

Volpe, a rookie shortstop, has already shown growth and improvement after making adjustments to his batting stance, and thru July 9, he was hitting .216/.287/.674. With Casey's guidance and mentorship, he has improved to .239/.333/.833 over his last 15 games. Bauers shows a different trajectory. He was hitting .224 before Casey and has now dropped to .213 on the season. 

The most significant impact Casey's presence has had on the Yankees lineup is Cabrera. He was sent down in July just after Casey arrived, but after being recalled on Aug. 8, is hitting .273 through his five games back. 

While the Yankees are not showing Casey's effects in the win/loss column, dropping 19 of their last 29 games, it looks like Casey's hire will pay dividends in the future.