Anthony Rizzo admits Sean Casey is ‘different,’ expects ‘real easy’ connection

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Anthony Rizzo has acknowledged that new hitting coach Sean Casey is different from former coach Dillon Lawson. However, he expressed the hope that his ability to have easier communication with Casey would help him break out of his longest slump.

“Sean is different, I’ve known Sean for a while, so our conversation has been real easy, he told The Post. “I’m excited to have him see me.”

The first baseman is currently going through a rough patch with his batting, so it was expected to see Anthony Rizzo practicing early before the Yankees’ 5-4 series opener victory against the Royals in The Bronx on Friday. Standing beside him, energetically sharing tips and advice, was the newly appointed hitting coach, Sean Casey.

Anthony Rizzo looks to Casey to help him out

Anthony Rizzo, like many others, is optimistic that the former major league player can help him find his rhythm. When he was asked if a new voice could assist him in breaking out of his extended slump, the first baseman mentioned that everyone was different. Anthony Rizzo pointed out that young players have been taught a somewhat different approach to hitting compared to older veterans, so it’s about finding a way to blend all those methods.

One of the challenges for Sean Casey, who became the hitting coach after the All-Star break, is to work with players like Anthony Rizzo and find effective ways to help them improve their hitting performance.

Anthony Rizzo mentioned that Dillon was good with his communication style, while Sean’s approach is different. He also added that he knew the new coach for a while, so their conversations had been easy and comfortable. Anthony Rizzo admitted that he was excited to have Sean observe his batting and provide guidance.

According to Manager Boone, Sean Casey is indeed a different voice and has been doing an excellent job connecting with the players and establishing a foundation. He mentioned that Casey’s career path had been unique, starting with a successful major league career and then transitioning to work at the MLB Network.

Boone also remarked that from what he had observed so far, Casey has done a good job connecting with the players, and he hopes to see positive results from their work together.

Task is bigger than just Anthony Rizzo

However, the manager conceded that the Yankees’ offensive struggles are not just about Anthony Rizzo and it was a challenging period for many talented hitters on the team.

As of Friday, Anthony Rizzo had been going through a tough 41-game stretch where he only managed to hit five doubles, no home runs, and struck out 39 times. During this period, his batting average was.169, and his OPS (On-Base Plus Slugging percentage) was.475.

Notably, he hadn’t hit a home run since May 20. Anthony Rizzo continued to struggle on Friday night, going 0-for-4 at the plate with one strikeout. He confessed that every time he goes into the batter’s box, he is ready to do damage, regardless of whether he is in an awful stretch or hitting well. But it made no difference to his approach.

He was taking extra batting practice on Friday morning because he had changed his routine. 

Anthony Rizzo mentioned that there are instances when doing less can result in achieving more, but he clarified that this is not one of them. He expressed that he needs to figure things out and maintain belief in himself because getting too high or too low emotionally can make the season feel much longer. Casey has already stated that the first baseman is pushing “little extra.”

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