Ausmus’ gut reaction to analytics approach
There will be a new voice in Aaron Boone’s ear helping the Yankees figure out when to make a decision with feel and when to make a decision with figures.
New bench coach Brad Ausmus spent 18 years as a major league catcher, three years in a front office, five years as a manager and one year as a bench coach. A lifetime of experience has taught him that advanced numbers matter and should guide decisionmaking most of the time. But not all of the time. “I used to do the scouting reports [as a catcher] in Houston for almost a decade, and it was based on data,” Ausmus said over Zoom on Tuesday in his introductory news conference. “And then I would put it into play in the game, and I found that the data was probably right 85 percent [of the time].
“But you have to use your eyes, as well. It’s not a vacuum out there. You have to use your eyes, and you have to use your experience. I put a lot of emphasis on data, but it is not the entire answer to winning baseball games.”
Ausmus joins an organization that had trouble winning baseball games last season, which has placed increased scrutiny on how the Yankees operate. Ausmus, who is replacing Carlos Mendoza who left to manage the Mets, will try to lean upon his experience to help players in the clubhouse and Boone in the dugout.
Experience — a word he used 11 times Tuesday — is a strong suit for Ausmus, who played for five major league clubs (predominantly with the Astros) before spending three seasons in the Padres’ front office. He managed the Tigers from 2013-17 and the Angels in 2019. He served as A’s bench coach in 2022 then took last season off.
Both GM Brian Cashman and Boone reached out to Ausmus a few weeks ago, which began an interview process that included questions about how he would make decisions during games.
“The main aspect of a bench coach’s job is to make sure that the manager has all the information that he needs to make a decision,” said Ausmus, who won three Gold Gloves behind the plate. “And if necessary, maybe push them towards one decision or another or try to coax him in one direction.”
Ausmus said he and Boone do not have a deep relationship with each other, though they “have always been friends across the field” first as divisional opponents in the 1990s and 2000s, when Ausmus played with the Astros and Boone with the Reds, and later as managerial foes.
The Yankees choosing a bench coach with plenty of history as a manager would invite questions about Boone’s job security if the 2024 season goes awry.
For his part, Ausmus said he did not know the next step of his career.
“There was a little bit of interest in front-office roles, but most of the time when I look at myself, I look at myself in uniform,” the 54-year-old said. “Just because that’s what I’ve always been. I’ve been a player. I’ve been a manager. I’ve been a coach. Right now I’m the bench coach for the Yankees, so that’s all I’m concerned with.”
The Yankees represent a full-circle moment for the New Haven, Conn., native, who was drafted by the Yankees in 1987 and progressed through their minor league system until he was grabbed by the Rockies in the 1992 expansion draft.
He never played with the big-league Yankees, but he understands and enjoys the expectations of playing and coaching here.
“Every single year they’re going to try and win the World Series,” said Ausmus, who has never won a title. “That can’t be said about every organization. I want to be part of a World Series team.”