The goal of the New York Yankees is to exact revenge for their mediocre 2023 campaign. With a final record of 82-80, New York was unable to qualify for the MLB Playoffs. The Yankees’ analytics staff has come under fire from some, and former All-Star Zack Britton brought up the issue again in 2024.In order to talk about the angle the analytics team took with him while he was in New York, Britton joined Foul Territory.
“I recall the Yankees going down this rabbit hole of, ‘Hey let’s video your grip and try to get other people to throw your sinker,'” during my Tommy John rehabilitation. And I feel like it’s all genetic and has nothing to do with how I hold the ball,” Britton stated on Foul Territory TV.
It appears that Britton and the group were not quite in agreement about what constitutes a player’s throwing motion. All the same, the analytics team probably only wanted to find more throwers who could do what Britton had.
The former relief pitcher for the Yankees played five seasons in New York, with 2019 being his standout year. Britton made 66 appearances in that season and recorded 53 strikeouts. He felt it was time to hang up his jersey after playing for the squad until 2022.
“After my contract with the Yankees expired, I considered playing for an additional year or two. It didn’t help that I had to have two elbow surgery last year. Teams made offers to me, but at this point, the money wasn’t enough to convince me to move away from home, Britton said.
After settling in New York, the former All-Star withdrew from the NBA due to his late-career injury problems.
Even though Britton is no longer with the Yankees, the franchise has big plans for its 2024 campaign. Can they overcome their adversity and have a successful postseason run?