The New York Yankees have fired their strength and conditioning coach. After last season, I know what you’re thinking, the Yankees had a strength and conditioning coach?
According to a report in the New York Post by George A. King III, the organization axed director of strength and conditioning, Matt Krause, following six years with the club.
Krause was shown the door after 30 players made 39 trips to the injured list in 2019, a major-league record. The revolving door which saw starters replaced by bench players and those bench players replaced by more players off the street inspired t-shirts with the mantra of “next man up.”
NEXT MAN UP!! YOUR 2019 New York #Yankees!!
🔥Buy the Tee Here: https://t.co/wJiJtsLrbd pic.twitter.com/FNXRPeit59
— Bronx Pinstripes (@BronxPinstripes) April 25, 2019
A total of 20 players made 23 trips to the IL in 2018.
In 2017, Krause was named Professional Strength and Conditioning Coach of the Year by the National Strength and Conditioning Association. Yet, as we all know, New York is a “what have you done for me lately?” kind of town.
I can’t quantify how much Krause’s methods influenced the health of players but when I see guys on Instagram like Giancarlo Stanton going overboard cranking out lat pulldowns or Luke Voit with a sledgehammer or Aaron Judge flipping tires, that perhaps those workouts aren’t the most conducive to playing baseball and staying healthy.
