Yankees manager Aaron Boone is once again drawing criticism from fans, this time for his continued reluctance to acknowledge his players’ struggles following another tough loss. While Boone has always defended his roster, his latest comments regarding DJ LeMahieu’s performance at second base struck a nerve. Despite LeMahieu’s clear decline in range, Boone praised both him and Jazz Chisholm Jr. as “talented defenders,” ignoring the visible flaws in their current defensive alignment.
Statistically and visually, the Yankees’ current infield setup doesn’t hold up. LeMahieu, now 36, lacks the athleticism to effectively cover ground at second base, while Chisholm has struggled adjusting to third. Boone’s insistence that the current arrangement is acceptable contradicts both the numbers and the eye test. While Boone did say the team is open to evaluating positional changes, his unwillingness to provide any honest critique continues to frustrate fans.
LeMahieu and Chisholm’s defensive metrics from this season only emphasize the issue. LeMahieu has posted a negative rating at second, while Chisholm has done better at second than third base. Given these figures and their physical limitations, a positional swap would likely benefit the team. Boone’s failure to acknowledge this publicly reinforces the perception that he prioritizes protecting his players over making tough but necessary adjustments.
The Yankees remain in first place in the AL East, but a recent slump—12 losses in their last 18 games—has narrowed their lead significantly. The team’s poor play, especially against division opponents, has led to increased scrutiny of Boone’s leadership. Even when players like Anthony Volpe are clearly underperforming, Boone continues to shower them with praise, which fans see as out of touch with reality.
Yankees supporters aren’t expecting Boone to throw his players under the bus, but they do want to see accountability. Constantly defending struggling players, regardless of performance, is wearing thin in his eighth season as manager. With the team under pressure and slipping in form, Boone’s inability to publicly acknowledge flaws may be holding the Yankees back from addressing them head-on.
