Aaron Boone will return as manager of the New York Yankees for the 2027 season, the final year of his contract, the team confirmed on Wednesday.
Owner Hal Steinbrenner and general manager Brian Cashman met with reporters via video conference to discuss the 2026 season and Boone’s future, which has been the subject of much speculation since the Yankees’ last season exit.
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The roster was prepared by Cashman, who confirmed that he had agreed to a contract extension, and was backed by Boone Steinbrenner for the managing job. Mr. Yankees praised the team’s pitching, but repeatedly expressed that the offense was the main reason why the team failed to meet expectations.
“Every day they look at the situation,” Steinbrenner said of contemplating Boone’s future. “I don’t think you can hang a time and an unpleasant ending over that Aaron. I don’t think you can hang it.” [Cashman]from the rostrum. The offense, not fixing it, but the offense, was a big part of why, in my opinion, why we didn’t get where we try to get every year and we’re certainly trying to get it this year.
“That’s been the case all year. On the field, if you look at the performance against two Boston pitchers and the performance against probably all the Rays pitchers, it wasn’t good. I don’t know how to put it another way. If you don’t score runs, you’re not going to win. We all know that.”
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Steinbrenner added that he had a week-long conversation about Boone’s status, but in the end he didn’t believe the manager had any doubts.
“I don’t believe it,” Steinbrenner said. “I think he’s had a good year as a manager. I would certainly consider Aaron Boone if I thought he was a huge part of the problem and certainly, without naming names, point out other managers of other clubs who were part of the problem and that’s why the change was made.
“This year, I don’t think so.”
Boone’s contract is set to expire after the 2017 season
Boone signed a two-year extension through the 2027 MLB season in February 2025, months after the Yankees lost the World Series to the Los Angeles Dodgers. After two straight eliminations in the ALDS, some expected Boone’s season in New York to be after nine seasons. But he will work through the team at least at the end of the current deal.
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The 2026 season saw the Yankees finish second in the AL East for the second straight season and win 90 games for the seventh time in a full season under Boone. It’s a season that the Yankees have failed more often than not under the age of 53.
New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone speaks to the media before Game One of the American League Division Series between the New York Yankees and the Tampa Bay Rays.
(Mike Carlson via Getty Images)
The Yankees hold a 27-30 playoff record under Boone, which includes three trips to the ALCS and one World Series appearance. His record is 18-5 as the top seed in the series and 9-25 as the bottom seed. The Yankees were No. 4 seed in 2026 and No. 5 seed Boston Red Sox in the wild card round before being swept by the top-seed Tampa Rays in the ALDS.
Without Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton available only as pinch hitters, the Yankees batted .130 in the ALDS, and three of their five RBIs came from Ben Rice. Their hitting was what kept them in the playoffs, as evidenced by their 1.88 team ERA, 0.81 team ERA and .173 opponent batting average.
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“I thought Boone had a good season, especially with the shooting stick,” Steinbrenner said. “We went up to drink, and the only line is the players do not live up to their end of the playoff agreement.”
In the playoffs, other teams were often able to pick up on the weaknesses of Boone’s Yankees team. The Dodgers players told their 2024 World Series opponent that they were “over the top talent” and that they were going to destroy themselves. Toronto Blue Jays announcer Buck Martinez called their AL East rivals “not a good team” last season, saying they were error prone on the field and on the bases.
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Those criticisms only hardened after Austin Wells’ baserunning error in Game 1 of the ALDS against the Rays and the Yankees’ defensive breakdown in Game 2.
Cashman was in charge 29 times. Boone is just the third manager to work under him. The Yankees last won the 2009 World Series and are in the midst of a 17-year championship drought. Boots heard after Grisham Trent’s streak ending against the Rays showed how frustrated the fan base is with the current state of the team.
But for the sentiment, Cashman apparently isn’t ready to hire a new manager just yet. It’s unclear what major changes he’ll make this winter, if anyone hopes to return to the franchise as a contender, who remains a tight end.
“That’s our mission, that’s our goal,” Steinbrenner said.