The New York Yankees are looking to avenge their middling 2023 season. New York finished the year at 82-80 and failed to make the MLB Playoffs. Some have criticized the Yankees’ analytics team, and former All-Star Zack Britton revisited the subject in 2024.
Zack Britton reflects on his experience with the Yankees analytics team
Britton joined Foul Territory to discuss the angle the analytics team took with him during his days in New York.
“I remember the Yankees when I was going through my Tommy John rehab went down this rabbit hole of like, ‘Hey let’s video your grip and try to get other people to throw your sinker.’ And I’m like it has nothing to do with how I grip the ball…it’s all genetic,” Britton said on Foul Territory TV.
It seems Britton and the team did not exactly agree on the makings of a player’s throwing style. Nevertheless, the analytics team likely just wanted to replicate Britton’s success with other throwers.
The former Yankees relief pitcher spent five seasons in New York with his highlight season coming in 2019. That year, Britton appeared in 66 games and threw 53 strikeouts. He remained with the team until 2022 and decided it was time for him to hang his jersey up.
“After my Yankees contract was up, I thought about playing for another year or two. You know, I had the two elbow surgeries that last year, which didn’t help. I had offers from teams…but the money wasn’t worth it for me to leave home at this stage,” Britton explained.
The former All-Star had established a dwelling place in New York and with his late-career injury woes, he retired from the league.
Britton may be gone from the Yankees, but the team still has high expectations for their 2024 season. Can they get over the hump and make a deep postseason run?