Yankees hire Dillon Lawson as hitting coach, Desi Druchel as assistant pitching coach

In addition to the on-field needs, the Yankees had some coaching vacancies they needed to fill after Marcus Thames, P.J. Pilittere, and Phil Nevin were let go after what can only be described as a disappointing 2021 season for the Yankees’ offense. While the coaching staff isn’t completely filled yet, the Yankees have promoted a couple internal candidates to help out the Major League team: Dillon Lawson and Desi Druschel.

Lawson, who most recently served as the organization’s minor-league hitting coordinator, will take over from Thames as the team’s hitting coach. Druschel was also promoted to assist Matt Blake as the new assistant pitching coach after serving as the minor league manager of pitch development. Additionally, Druschel was the interim pitching coach at Triple-A after a midseason coaching change in Scranton.

Lawson has been with the Yankees for three years now, having spent time previously as a hitting coach at the University of Missouri and in the Astros’ farm system. Druschel was with the University of Iowa for a long time serving many roles before being hired by the Yankees just this past year.

Druschel and Lawson join former Mets manager Luis Rojas as new additions to Aaron Boone’s staff. However, more hires should be expected after what Brian Cashman said in November:

In addition to bringing more assistant hitting and pitching coaches aboard, the Yankees are also still looking to hire a first-base coach after Reggie Willits departed to become a voluntary assistant coach at the University of Oklahoma, his alma mater.