The New York Yankees are widely known for being heavily dependent on analytics. They are apparently among the ball clubs that solely focus on numbers and graphic charts. However, this season, the same process has come under scrutiny. As the Bombers witnessed an appalling season, they have instilled a target on their backs.
This coming off-season, Hal Steinbrenner is committed to finding out the root cause of the debacle. Thus, he has hired a third-party company to offer an unbiased opinion. But before the whole dissection process begins, there are some problems that are right in front of the team and are hard to ignore at the same time. To begin with, the Yanks must review their usage of analytics.
Yankees Must Guide The Players To Optimize The Usage Of Analytics!
Aaron Judge, the New York Yankees lost captain, opened up on the changes he wants to see happening next season. One of the things stressed specifically by the captain was the usage of analytics. He said that while the numbers generated are genuine, the process of incorporation needs to be looked at. Analytical numbers look simple, but their usage is definitely not. Every player has their own style of playing baseball. They are accustomed to a particular style that suits them the most. Thus, to ask a hitter, or a pitcher for that matter, to change their mechanics by just showing the numerical data is ridiculous.
Yankees need to understand that they need to communicate with their players better. Each guy must be guided on how to analyze and incorporate the changes into their daily routine. But before that, the team needs to understand the learning styles of each player and approach them accordingly with a plan that suits them the best. To further simplify, the Bronx Bombers have to teach their players the right way to incorporate analytics into their daily practice routine. That can be achieved with better communication. It’s time the coaching staff pulled up their socks. Having said that, analytics is a small part of the Yankees’ problem. They have much bigger issues, ranging from roster shortcomings to front-office incompetency, to overlook in the coming off-season.
Aaron Judge Calls For A Sense Of Urgency Within Yankee Clubhouse!
Meanwhile, Yankees captain Aaron Judge is desperate to fix things. In an interview, he called for an increased sense of urgency within the camp. Judge believes that just because someone has made it to the big league and donned the pinstripes does not mean they stop looking for ways to improve. One has to constantly evolve as a player and improve their skills because the sport of baseball is demanding.
Aaron Judge further raised his doubt on the effectiveness of analytics. He said that maybe the Yankees are looking at the wrong data to incorporate. The genuineness of the numbers is certainly not a problem, as he has complete faith in the analytical team. However, the analysis of those data and the process of incorporation is something to be looked at this coming off-season.