Bleeding Yankee Blue: YANKEES LOOK AT COLLEGE RANKS FOR NEW PITCHING COACH

Thursday, October 31, 2019

YANKEES LOOK AT COLLEGE RANKS FOR NEW PITCHING COACH

I was surprised when the Yankees fired Larry Rothschild, a lot of us were. It didn't make a lot of sense at first, but then I took a step back and thought about it. The game has evolved, Major League Baseball has changed a lot and the Yankees haven't evolved with it. This is the Yankees next big step and if the rumors are true, this could be a HUGE step.

According to multiple sources, the Yankees are might be reaching into the college ranks for their new pitching coach. We'll go with NJ.com for this one HERE because there are two candidates that have caught the Yankees eye.

As of yesterday, the Yankees are rumored to have interviewed two college coaches and I'm sure it is just the start. The Twins started a trend when they hired Wes Johnson as pitching coach from the University of Arkansas last offseason and had success in his first season. So far, Johnson is the only person to make the leap directly from college to MLB pitching coach, but others have moved from the college ranks to take on other roles within MLB organizations in recent years.

So maybe the Yankees will be the second? The Yankees were set to interview Matt Hobbs yesterday, who actually took over as Johnson's replacement in Arkansas and he is credited as a young, technologically-savvy coach. Maybe the Yankees can grab the next Arkansas superstar.

The Yankees also interviewed Chris Fetter from the University of Michigan. He is described as a "rising star" in the industry and also has interest from the New York Mets. Fetter was a minor league pitching coordinator for the Dodgers for a short time and was also a scout for the Angels for three years. Fetter places a heavy emphasis on analytics, which Brian Cashman and Aaron Boone love. Fetter is also Michigan's all-time innings pitched leader and was drafted in the 9th round of the 2009 draft by the Padres but he did not advance past Single-A and after four seasons he transitioned to coaching. He sounds like he is exactly what the Yankees are looking for.

He fits the Yankees new vision, but will he be as successful as Johnson? It will be interesting to see how a once minor league baseball player turned to college coach will be able to successfully coach major league hitters. Will a veteran pitching staff respond well to a college turned MLB pitching coach?

It will be interesting to see how this plays out. I like that the Yankees are adapting, and I am okay with the analytical approach BUT is this the right approach? Comment and tell us what you think. Do you think a college coach could improve our pitching staff? I'm interested to see how this plays out.