Yankees: Aaron Boone’s redemption arc is well under way

Aaron Boone almost didn’t return to manager the Yankees, but now he has them on the road to the only thing missing from his career: a World Series title

It was the ultimate indignity for the proud New York Yankees. For the first time in their long history, New York had their postseason run last October end at Fenway Park. Manager Aaron Boone stood on the top step of the dugout, his hand resting on the railing, as he took one final look at the hated Red Sox celebrating their 6-2 Wild Card win before slowly making his way back to the clubhouse. For all he knew, it would be his last moment in a Yankees uniform.

Boone’s future as Yankees manager was uncertain at the time. He had just concluded his fourth season in the dugout and, besides one trip to the ALCS, had little to show for it. He had compiled the wins—328 of them, good for a .600 winning percentage—and had guided New York to the postseason every year. But he had no World Series titles, not even any appearances in the Fall Classic. And, for a franchise with 27 championship banners flying over Yankee Stadium, that just won’t cut it.

Boone was eventually brought back, signing a three-year contract that will keep him as manager through 2024. So far in 2022, the front office must be pretty happy they decided to stick by him.

Aaron Boone’s Yankees, through 27 games, sit comfortably atop the AL East standings at 19-8, the best record in the American League. They’ve already run off an 11-game winning streak, defeated the Red Sox two out of the three games they’ve played, won three games in walk-off fashion, and established themselves, at least early in the season, as the team to beat. Suddenly, the Yankees under Boone are no longer underachievers.

The Yankees have witnessed a combative side to Boone so far this season, one not afraid to stick up for his players. Last Wednesday, as New York were trailing the Blue Jays by one run in Toronto, home plate umpire Marty Foster called a questionable low strike on slugger Aaron Judge.

Boone immediately raced from the dugout and confronted Foster. “Make the adjustment. He’s 6-f-king-7,” Boone yelled after already getting tossed from the game. The Yankees lost 2-1, ending the long win streak, but the message Boone sent was clear: the 2022 Yankees are a group that demands respect.

On Sunday afternoon, after a series of rainouts forced the Yanks to play a doubleheader against the Texas Rangers, Gleyber Torres came to the plate to lead off the bottom of the ninth inning of a 1-1 game. With the count 3-1, Torres connected on a pitch from Rangers left-hander John King and sent it 369 feet into the bleachers in right-field. The homer would’ve gone out in 26 of the 30 ballparks, but that didn’t stop Rangers manager Chris Woodward from claiming it wouldn’t have been a home run in 99 percent of parks around the Majors and referring to Yankee Stadium as “a little league ballpark.” Aaron Boone wasn’t going to stand for that slight.

“His math is wrong, 99 percent is impossible. There’s only 30 parks,” Boone said following the Yankees’ 2-1 win in the first half of the doubleheader.

Aaron Boone has the Yankees on a path to World Series contention

The Yankees have a long tradition. The legendary players and teams of the past echo throughout the Yankee Stadium. Boone has his team on a path to emulating those great lineups. The Yankees’ 19 wins through 27 games are the franchise’s most since 2010. Only five other times did the Yanks begin a season with a better record, and they made the World Series in all of them. The Yankees are on pace for 114 wins, which would tie the franchise record set in 1998.

The Yankees are known for power, for being the Bronx Bombers. This 2022 version is living up to that billing. The Yankees have the second-most batted balls with a 100 mph exit velocity this season, behind only the Blue Jays. Judge and Giancarlo Stanton both rank in the top five. Their pitching staff leads the league in number of pitches thrown 95 mph or faster. Boone has confidence in all his pitchers to do the job asked of them, and so far they’ve come through; Yankees relievers have the lowest ERA in the league at 2.35 ERA.

All of this—the fast start, the long winning streaks, the powerful bats, the unhittable arms—will mean nothing if the Yankees don’t succeed in October. For Aaron Boone, a World Series title is what’s missing for him to complete his legacy alongside the other great Yankees managers. No manager has had a stint with the Yankees as long as Boone without winning a title in more than a century. The previous seven managers to lead the team for at least five years all won at least one title.

Boone hasn’t led the team there yet, and his success will ultimately depend on whether the greatest franchise in the sport is hoisting a 28th banner. Seven months ago he didn’t know whether he would be back. Now he has them where this franchise belongs, on the precipice of greatness.