Aaron Judge, DJ LeMahieu give honest feelings on Yankees’ new hitting coach

As the New York Yankees try to get back into the postseason, James Rowson was hired as the team’s new hitting coach. In the lead up to Opening Day, Aaron Judge and DJ LeMahieu are fully bought in to Rowson’s system.

It won’t be the first time Rowson has been with the Yankees, as he coached with the team for nine seasons. Seven of those years he served as New York’s minor league hitting coordinator. From minors to majors, Judge and LeMahieu believe the Yankees found the right candidate in Rowson, via Brendan Kuty of The Athletic.

“He gets the side of analytics and the swing mechanics, the biomechanics of your swing,” Judge said. “But he also understands game planning and being in the box, and what it means to stand in the box when you’re facing 98 MPH with some sink and a nasty slider.”

“I’d heard a lot of good things about him from players on other teams,” LeMahieu said of Rowson. “I’ve had really good sessions with him as well. I think it’s a really good fit.”

The Yankees ended their 2023 campaign with 673 runs scored, ranking 25th overall. New York traded for Juan Soto in hopes of more run scoring opportunities. But alongside Soto, Aaron Judge, DJ LeMahieu and the entire squad, James Rowson must do his part in getting the Yankees’ offense back up to speed.

The team was clearly impressed with what Rowson had to offer when they hired him away from the Detroit Tigers. That decision has worked out so far, with numerous Yankees swinging the hitting coach’s praises before Opening Day even commences.