The Yankees didn’t just sweep the Red Sox. They gave Aaron Boone the kind of October answer he’s been building toward since spring training, and one of the most experienced voices in the organization thinks that work has stood out above anything he’s done in New York.
Omar Minaya, the club’s senior advisor to baseball operations, said Boone’s handling of a season filled with injuries, shifting roles and young players being asked to do more than expected has been his best with the Yankees.
“This is the best year that I’ve seen Booney manage. And I’ve been here four years,” Minaya said.
Minaya has been with the Yankees since 2023 and works within Brian Cashman’s baseball operations group. He pointed to the challenge Boone faced all year as stars came and went, forcing the manager to keep moving pieces around while still getting production from rookies and holdovers alike.
“Because Booney gives these guys confidence. And I think some people say he’s a player manager.
Yeah, that’s good. I like player managers,” Minaya said.
The timing of that praise makes sense. New York opened the postseason with a two-game demolition of Boston, winning 9-0 in Game 1 and 9-2 in Game 2 at Yankee Stadium for an 18-2 margin in the Wild Card Series.
Cam Schlittler set the tone in the opener, striking out 10 over 6 1/3 scoreless innings in a win over Payton Tolle. Max Fried followed with six innings of one-run ball against Sonny Gray on Wednesday.
Neither game required a save.
For Boone, the sweep was about more than advancing. It was a glimpse of the roster he spent months trying to piece together through injuries, promotions and changing roles.
Rookies George Lombard Jr. and Spencer Jones both logged meaningful October innings. The rotation carried the series.
The offense did the damage late.
Boone said he did not expect Boston to get handled this quickly. The Red Sox came in with a pitching staff New York respected, and the matchup did not feel soft going in.
Asked after Game 2 whether the margin surprised him, Boone answered plainly.
“Oh yeah, yes,” Boone said, “That was very satisfying to played that well in these two games… obviously we’re really going to enjoy that.”
He added that Boston’s pitching made the series feel dangerous before it started.
That made the Yankees’ execution all the more impressive. They scored seven of their nine runs in Game 1 after the sixth inning, then exploded for six runs in the sixth inning of Game 2. The scoreboard made it look easy, but Boone was navigating tight innings before the bats broke things open.
The pitching was the backbone. Schlittler and Fried combined for 12 1/3 innings, allowed one earned run and struck out 16, a 0.73 ERA from the two starters. That kind of work let Boone manage the bullpen carefully and keep Gerrit Cole and Carlos Rodon lined up for the next round.
The offense showed another side too. Boone spent the season asking a constantly changing lineup to stay disciplined, adjust to new roles and manufacture runs in different ways. Against Boston, the Yankees homered, bunted, stole bases and took advantage of mistakes.
Boone said that approach can travel.
“We play like that, we’ve got a chance to beat anybody,” Boone said.
The next test comes quickly. New York now moves on to the ALDS against the Rays, who won the AL East by 4 1/2 games and took seven of 13 regular-season meetings from the Yankees.
Game 1 is Saturday at Tropicana Field. Cole and Rodon are both under consideration to start, Schlittler is positioned for Game 2 and possibly Game 5, and Aaron Judge is still trying to return from a calf injury after being left off the Wild Card roster.
The Yankees finished 93-68 with a plus-138 run differential, and Boone is still working with a deep but fluid group. Boston gave him the first October proof that the approach can hold. Tampa Bay gets the next shot at it.
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