New York Yankees hitting coach James Rowson interviewed for the Minnesota Twins manager role recently, and has now made the shortlist of finalists for the job. His departure from the team would mean another major staffing change for the Yankees this offseason.
Rowson was named along with Chicago Cubs bench coach Ryan Flaherty, Pittsburgh Pirates manager Derek Shelton and former Seattle Mariners manager Scott Servais. Rowson impressed in the interview process, and is considered a favorite for the role along with Shelton, h/t the Athletic’s Dan Hayes and Brittany Ghiroli. Hayes and Ghiroli detailed that Rowson already has an impressive history with the Twins and beyond.
Mount Vernon native, and New York Yankee batting coach, James Rowson offers batting instruction to young baseball players as he is honored by The City of Mount Vernon for his outstanding achievements and contributions to the world of professional baseball at Brush Park in Mount Vernon on Thursday, August 29, 2024. As a youth, Coach Rowson participated in local baseball programs in Mount Vernon. / John Meore/The Journal News / USA TODAY NETWORK
“Rowson, who impressed the Twins with his recent interview and also during the 2018 search, was the team’s hitting coach when the Bomba Squad smashed a major-league record 307 home runs during the 2019 season,” They wrote. “After leaving the Twins, he spent three seasons as bench coach for the Miami Marlins from 2020-22. Rowson returned to the Yankees as their hitting coach in 2024 and spent the 2023 campaign as an assistant hitting coach for the Detroit Tigers.”
The Yankees’ offense was a point of contention in the 2025 season, and they appeared too reliant on a few sluggers hitting home runs to win them games. Nevertheless, Rowson worked with some of the best hitters in baseball this season and last, with the 2025 Yankees leading the AL in WAR. Aaron Judge alone, the Yankees’ marquee superstar, led the league in most major batting statistics and is in a tight race for a fourth MVP title (having won in 2017, 2022 and 2024).
The Twins missed the playoffs again this year, for the fourth year in a row, and finished with a 70-92 record. In late September, after their elimination, the Twins fired manager Rocco Baldelli, who had been their skipper for seven seasons. The team’s president, Derek Falvey, insisted that the decision to part ways with Baldelli was not a reflection of the former manager’s leadership abilities, but an acknowledgement that the team would need a new voice at the helm in order to advance.
The Yankees granted the Twins an interview with Rowson recently, around the same time that they parted ways with bullpen coach Mike Harkey and first base coach Travis Chapman. A bullpen staffing change after the Yankees’ relief troubles this season was a welcome one, and if Rowson leaves as well, it may welcome a new strategic approach for the offense. The major players, manager Aaron Boone and general manager Brian Cashman, do not appear to be going anywhere this offseason, as it stands.