The hot stove often overshadows changes made to coaching staffs, unless a team is searching for a new manager. The Yankees, of course, were not looking for a new skipper this offseason, but they did make a few changes to ensure the coaching staff was not fully the “run it back” version of last year’s group.
In many ways, the “run it back” Yankees applies just as much to the coaching staff as it does to the roster. The core remains, but a few older voices have been replaced with a group that blends
youth, development, and a modern application of analytics. That said, this group also includes two internal promotions and one familiar face returning for a second stint in the Bronx.
Before this season kicks off, let’s remind ourselves of the Yankees’ 2026 coaching corps, with big-league staff tenure entering the season noted:
- Manager: Aaron Boone (9th season)
- Bench Coach: Brad Ausmus (3rd season)
- First Base/Infield/Baserunning Coach: Dan Fiorito (1st season)
- Third Base/Outfield Coach: Luis Rojas (5th season)
- Pitching Coach: Matt Blake (7th season)
- Assistant Pitching Coach: Preston Claiborne (2nd season)
- Assistant Pitching Coach: Desi Druschel (1st season, 5th overall; second stint with Yankees)
- Hitting Coach: James Rowson (3rd season)
- Assistant Hitting Coach: Casey Dykes (5th season)
- Assistant Hitting Coach: Jake Hirst (1st season)
- Major League Field Coordinator/Catching: Tanner Swanson (7th season)
The new additions are Desi Druschel for round two in the Bronx, along with Jake Hirst and Dan Fiorito.
On the pitching side, the Yankees made their most notable change, parting ways with longtime bullpen coach Mike Harkey. Harkey had been a steady presence in New York dating all the way back to the old Yankee Stadium, originally serving under Joe Girardi from 2008 through 2013 before taking a job as Diamondbacks pitching coach, ultimately returning in 2016 and remaining through the transition to Aaron Boone. Like the other coaches who weren’t brought back for 2026, Harkey’s contract simply wasn’t renewed.
Harkey represented more of an old-school presence on the staff. His replacement, Desi Druschel, aligns much more closely with the modern, analytics-driven approach that has become central to Matt Blake’s pitching infrastructure.
Druschel’s first stint with the Yankees began in 2019, when New York hired him away from the college ranks to serve as Manager of Pitch Development, a role created specifically for him. In 2022, he was promoted to assistant pitching coach at the major league level, a position he held through the 2024 season before spending last year in a similar role with the Mets.
Now, he returns after a more seismic coach staff shakeup in Queens.
Druschel has built a reputation as one of the more analytically inclined pitching minds in the game. His time away only added to that profile, and he now rejoins a system that has continued to evolve in his absence.
The Yankees have invested heavily in pitching development, and bringing Druschel back signals a desire to keep pushing forward. His role will likely focus on bridging data, pitch design, and in-game adjustments, areas that have become critical to modern pitching success. It is not often that a coach leaves and then returns so quickly, which is exactly what makes this move stand out. The Mets had fired his superior in pitching coach Jeremy Hefner, so they allowed Druschel to talk to other teams and potentially move on if he wanted; he took that path.
There is also one lingering semi-question on the pitching side.
Although Boone said in December that Claiborne—a former Yankees reliever from 2013-14 who later became a minor-league coach and was named to the big-league staff for 2025—would serve as the bullpen coach, the Yanks did not formally designate him in that role, leaving some ambiguity about how those responsibilities will be handled early in the season. Perhaps the Yankees plan to move away from the traditional model and rotate responsibilities within the pitching group—though it would probably be safe to assume that Claiborne will be the one actually standing out in the bullpen on Opening Day in San Francisco.
On the hitting side, Jake Hirst joins the big-league staff as an assistant hitting coach, replacing Pat Roessler. Roessler was not removed due to performance, and while nothing has been formally announced, the organization indicated a desire to keep him in another role.
Hirst’s promotion reflects a continued emphasis on development. He enters his seventh season in the Yankees organization, having served as assistant minor league hitting coordinator in 2024 and minor league hitting coordinator in 2025.
Hirst is on the younger side, as he graduated from Central College in Pella, Iowa, as recently as 2017, when Aaron Judge was already socking bombs and leading the Yankees. He played baseball for Central and then coached in Illinois at Augustana College before being hired by New York; he was widely acclaimed for his strong focus on communication and player development. That profile fits the modern assistant hitting coach role, where translating information into actionable adjustments is often more important than the information itself. This has quietly become one of the most important jobs on a coaching staff.
The Yankees are not overhauling their hitting philosophy, but they are doubling down on a coach who has already played a role in developing their next wave of hitters. Just look at Ben Rice and Austin Wells’ development paths to understand what the Yankees are hoping to unlock with this promotion.
The final change comes on the infield side, where Dan Fiorito steps into a big-league role as first base and infield coach, replacing Travis Chapman.
Chapman’s departure followed a 2025 season in which the Yankees’ infield defense and fundamentals were inconsistent (and there was even a rare public show of frustration from Boone toward one of his own in the dugout). Whether fair or not, those areas often fall under the lens of coaching, and the organization clearly felt a new voice was needed.
Fiorito, however, is not an outside hire. The Fordham Prep product has been with the organization since signing as an undrafted free agent in 2012. After his playing career in the Yankees’ system ended in 2016, he transitioned into coaching and was named League Manager of the Year while leading the Somerset Patriots to an Eastern League championship in 2022. Fiorito later served as a minor league infield and outfield instructor before becoming the organization’s coordinator in 2024 and 2025.
The Yankees continue to lean into internal development, not just with players, but with coaching as well. Fiorito’s promotion reflects a belief in the voices already within the organization. Now, that philosophy moves directly to the major league level.
Around these three changes, the rest of Boone’s staff remains in place. That continuity is intentional, and the hires deliberate.
Druschel returns with experience and a deep understanding of the Yankees’ pitching identity. Hirst adds a fresh but familiar developmental voice on the hitting side. Fiorito brings internal continuity and a direct connection to the organization’s pipeline.
Brian Cashman might push back on the idea that this is a “run it back” approach, but the fan base is starved for championships. A lack of visible change can sometimes be interpreted as a lack of urgency. Here’s to hoping this refreshed coaching staff is the group that helps guide the 2026 Yankees to, and through, the Canyon of Heroes.
