Yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner backs manager Aaron Boone's return for 2027: 'I think he had a good year managing-wise'

Aaron Boone will be returning 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 a video conference to discuss the 2026 season and Boone's future, which faced much speculation after the Yankees' latest postseason exit.

The roster put together by Cashman, who confirmed he has agreed to a contract extension, and the managing job by Boone were backed by Steinbrenner. The Yankees owner praised the team's pitching, but expressed multiple times that the offense was the biggest reason why the team fell short of championship expectations.

"Every year I'm going to look at the situation," Steinbrenner said of contemplating Boone's future. "I don't think you can pin the season and the unacceptable end to it on Aaron. I don't think you can pin it on [Cashman], based on the roster he put together. The offense, not the pitching, but the offense, had a big part of why, in my opinion, why we didn't get where we strive to get every year and we're certainly striving to get this year.

"That was during the whole year. In the postseason, if you look at their performance against the two starting Boston pitchers and their performance against probably all the Rays pitchers, it was just not good. I don't know how else to put it. 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 did not believe the manager was part of the problem either.

"I don't believe he was," Steinbrenner said. "I think he had a good year managing-wise. I would, of course, consider moving on from Aaron Boone if I thought he was a huge part of the problem and I can certainly, without mentioning names, point out to other managers of other clubs that have been part of the problem and that's why a change was made.

"This year, I just don't believe that's the case."

Boone's contract set to expire after 2027 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 time would be up in New York after nine seasons. Instead, he will manage the team through at least the end of his current deal.

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 in the postseason that the Yankees have fallen short more often than not under the 53-year-old.

The Yankees hold a 27-30 playoff record under Boone, which includes three trips to the ALCS and one World Series appearance. His teams are 18-5 as the higher seed in a series and 9-25 as the lower seed. The Yankees were the No. 4 seed in 2026 and beat the No. 5 seed Boston Red Sox in the wild-card round before being swept by the top-seeded Tampa Rays in the ALDS.

Without Aaron Judge and with Giancarlo Stanton available only as a pinch-hitter, the Yankees batted .130 in the ALDS, and three of their five RBI came from Ben Rice. Their pitching was what kept them in games, as evidenced by a 1.88 team ERA, 0.81 team WHIP and a .173 opponent batting average.

"I thought Boone managed a good season, especially with the pitching staff," said Steinbrenner. "He got us to the playoffs, and the bottom-line is the players didn't live up to their end of the bargain in the playoffs."

In the playoffs, other teams have often been able to pick up on the weaknesses of Boone's Yankees teams. The Dodgers told their players their 2024 World Series opponents were "talent over fundamentals" and were bound to self-destruct. Toronto Blue Jays announcer Buck Martinez labeled the AL East rivals as "not a good team" last season, saying they were mistake-prone in the field and on the bases.

Those criticisms were only hardened after seeing Austin Wells' baserunning mistake in Game 1 of the ALDS against the Rays and the Yankees' defensive breakdown in Game 2.

Cashman has been in charge for 29 seasons. Boone is just the third manager to work under him. The Yankees last won the World Series in 2009 and are in the midst of a 17-year championship drought. The boos heard after Trent Grisham's series-ending strikeout against the Rays showed how frustrated the fan base is with the team's current state.

But regardless of their feelings, Cashman apparently isn't ready to hire a new manager just yet. It's unclear what major changes he will make this winter, if any, in hopes of returning the franchise to contender status, which remains the goal of ownership.

"That is our mission, that is our goal," Steinbrenner said.