Speaking over Zoom on Monday morning, Aaron Boone said that he anticipated at least one change to the Yankees’ coaching staff this offseason. However, the manager wasn’t ready to make any announcements.
Word came just a few hours later though, as assistant pitching coach Desi Druschel is leaving to take the same job with the Mets under lead pitching coach Jeremy Hefner. SNY’s Andy Martino first reported the news.
In Queens, Druschel will reunite with former Yankees bench coach and current Mets manager Carlos Mendoza.
Druschel, working under Yankees pitching coach Matt Blake, has been an instrumental part of the Bombers’ pitching apparatus for the last several years. Considered a pitch design specialist, the 2024 season marked his third on the Yankees’ major league staff and sixth in the organization.
Druschel previously spent three seasons as the Yankees’ manager of pitch development.
Prior to that, Druschel worked as a pitching coach and director of baseball operations at the University of Iowa. The Hawkeye State native also had stops at Mount Mercy University, Mount St. Clare College and Vinton-Shellsburg High School, all of which are located in Iowa.
Druschel played baseball and basketball at Upper Iowa University and Mount Mercy from 1994-1998.
With Druschel heading to the rival Mets, Boone said that he expects the rest of the Yankees’ staff to remain “largely intact.” They’ll just need to find a new assistant for Blake now.
