Backlash brews among Yankees fans over James Rowson's hitting coach offer: "How about poaching from teams that actually hit"

Of all the myriad problems encountered by the New York Yankees in 2023, hitting may have been the most pronounced. The team batted just .227 on the season, ranking them 29th out of 30 MLB teams.

Midway through, the team even hired experienced MLB veteran Sean Casey to attempt and iron out the issue. Regardless, the team persisted to strike out, with some of their biggest names encountering the worst hitting slumps of their respective careers.

After Casey's departure, the New York Yankees once again entered the market for a new hitting coach. After announcing chosen candidate on November 7, fans were unconvinced that the named individual would be able to curb the team's hitting woes.

"The Yankees have offered their hitting coach job to James Rowson, per @joelsherman1" - Talkin' Yanks

James Rowson, who has one year of experience as hitting coach for the Detroit Tigers, has been selected for the role. A 1994 ninth round pick, Rowson has never played in an MLB games, despite having years of experience as a hitting coach at both the Minor and Major League levels.

Although fans of the New York Yankees have been adamant that they want changes this season, nobody seems to be celebrating Rowson's acquisition. Instead, many are wondering why the Yankees have hired a hitting coach from another team who had struggles seeing the ball this year.

With a team average of .236, the Tigers batted just slightly better than the New York Yankees this season. Yankees GM Brian Cashman, often accused of hiring his contacts, may be blamed for hiring another buddy. Rowson has multiple years coaching in the Yankees' organization before holding bigger roles for the Cubs, Twins, and Miami Marlins, in addition to the Tigers.

Hiring a new hitting coach no solution for long-term New York Yankees hitting struggles

As previously mentioned, 2023 was not an easy year for the big-hitting names on the Yankees. In fact, the offense was so lacklustre that, for a period in the late stages of the season, the Yankees were trading spot with the Boston Red Sox in the AL East's basement.

Always quick to criticize their team, perhaps Yankees fans need to look further than Rowson. Afterall, the culprits of bad hitting like Anthony Rizzo, Giancarlo Stanton, and others, need to hold themselves accountable. Hopefully, that role will now be filled by a voice such as Rowson's.