Yankees bats excite Lawson

Dillon Lawson sums up his philosophy in five simple words: “Hit strikes hard.” It’s a mantra the Yankees’ new hitting coach believes will produce immediate results this season.

“We picked that because we felt like it’s close to what really good baseball players do, but also because it’s really easy to remember,” Lawson said. “It is nothing complicated. When we swing, we want to swing at strikes.”

“When we swing into strikes, we’re probably going to make more contact. When we make more contact, we will probably hit the ball harder. When we hit the ball harder, we’d like to hit it over the infield. Sometimes over the outfield fence. All of that works.”

After working as hitting coordinator for the Yankees’ minor league system for the past three years, Lawson will inherit a lineup that finished 19th in the Majors and 10th in the American League with 711 runs scored last season.

“There’s a lot to be excited about and optimistic about,” Lawson said. “We have a fantastic roster. As a hitting coach, I see that we have monsters all over the lineup. It’s amazing to be able to work with these guys. Really, what we try to do is keep their strengths, and then focus on any areas where we can improve — even if it’s just 1% — so we can make a big difference.”

Lawson, 36, will be replacing hitting coaches Marcus Thames and PJ Pilittere, whose contracts weren’t renewed in October. Lawson will work alongside assistant coach Casey Dykes, 31, who spent last season as hitting coach for Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

“I feel really confident in our ability to succeed if a pitcher throws us over the white part of the plate,” Lawson continued.

Lawson, who is currently in Tampa, Fla., at the Yankees’ player development complex, said he was in contact with some of the players on the club’s 40-man roster in October and November before the lockout. He’s been reviewing videos and thinks he’ll be able to build relationships quickly once practices start.

“It’s definitely less time, but I’m fortunate to have been with the organization for the last couple of years,” Lawson said. “One of the small benefits of the 2020 season was that I was face to face with these players, whether it was in the alternate venue or in the bubble.”

The Yankees are still evaluating candidates for a third hitting coach. Eric Chavez had initially accepted the position, but was given permission to join the Mets as lead hitting coach. The Yankees are believed to be looking for a coach with major league-level experience, but Lawson said that isn’t necessarily a must.

“Experience is important, but we have that in (Aaron) Boone,” Lawson said. “We are interviewing candidates with a wide range of strengths.”

Since the Yankees placed Lawson as minor league hitting coordinator, the Bombers’ farm teams rank fourth among the 30 organizations in slugging (.404) and OPS (.743), and sixth in on-base percentage. (.339) and runs per game (5.12).

Before joining the Yankees, Lawson spent two seasons in the Astros organization, working as hitting coach for the Class A Tri-City in 2016 and Class A Quad Cities in 2018.

Lawson was also the hitting coach at the University of Missouri in 2017, part of a college-level career that included four seasons as a first baseman and catcher at Transylvania (Ky.) University, followed by coaching jobs at Lindenwood (Mo. ) University, Morehead State (Ky.), and Southeast Missouri State.

“I always knew I wanted to be a coach. But I had never really considered coaching the New York Yankees, the biggest sports franchise in the world,” Lawson said. “I think I’m someone who just likes to get down to work and do things right.”