“It’s on the Players’ Shoulders,” Yankees Owner Hal Steinbrenner DEFENDS “Good” Manager Aaron Boone Following ALDS Exit Against Blue Jays

Hal Steinbrenner's New York Yankees suffered a 3-1 loss in the ALDS against the Toronto Blue Jays, which saw their World Series drought stretch up to 16 years.

“It’s on the Players’ Shoulders,” Yankees Owner Hal Steinbrenner DEFENDS “Good” Manager Aaron Boone Following ALDS Exit Against Blue Jays

Aaron Boone and Hal Steinbrenner (Image via Imago/MLB)

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On Monday, Hal Steinbrenner finally opened up about the 2025 season. In a Zoom interview, the New York Yankees owner came to the defense of manager Aaron Boone and expressed that their American League Division Series (ALDS) exit was on the shoulders of the players.

After reaching the World Series for the first time in 15 years in 2024, the Bronx Bombers had high expectations for the 2025 season. The team were looking to do one better than the previous season and hoping to finally get back on top of the MLB mountain.

Following a bright start, the team did suffer some slip-ups in the middle of the season. After getting swept by the Toronto Blue Jays in a 4-game series in Toronto, the Yankees lost the lead at the top of the standings.

In the end, the two sides finished with an identical 94-68 record. However, since the Blue Jays held the tiebreaker over the Yankees, they won the American League East title and pushed their rivals towards a Wild Card Series berth.

After taking down the Boston Red Sox in the best-of-three series, the Yankees went up against the Blue Jays in the ALDS. Once again, the Toronto-based side dominated their division rivals.

The Blue Jays’ offense exploded once again. They thumped the Yankees 10-1 in Game 1 and then won Game 2 with a 13-7 scoreline.

The Yankees stayed alive with a comeback 9-6 win in Game 3. A three-run home run from Aaron Judge turned out to be the highlight moment of this game.

In Game 4, the Blue Jays silenced the home fans in Yankee Stadium with a 5-2 win. This saw them win the series 3-1 and reach the American League Championship Series (ALCS) for the first time since 2016. The Blue Jays outscored the Yankees 34-19 in the 4 games.

Following the loss, there were several questions raised regarding the leadership of Aaron Boone and the management of the Yankees. Many fans on social media demanded the firing of Boone and General Manager Brian Cashman.

Despite this loss, Boone has the backing of both Cashman and Steinbrenner. During the Zoom meeting, the Yankees owner called the 52-year-old a “good” manager.

He’s a good manager at many of the things he has to do… He makes overall good decisions on the field. You can’t pin this on Aaron Boone, that’s for sure. This Toronto series was on the players. It’s on the players’ shoulders, period. They didn’t hit. We had a couple bad starts. Against the Blue Jays, you can’t do any of that when they were playing as good as they were playing.

Hal Steinbrenner said in the Zoom meeting

After losing the World Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2024, there were some questions regarding the future of Boone. The team would pick up his club option for the 2025 season and then hand him a 2-year contract extension.

Since joining the team in 2018, the former Yankees star has a 697-497 record in the regular season. As for the postseason, he is 25-27.

Hal Steinbrenner admits being “concerned” with Dodgers pulling away from rest of the league

The Los Angeles Dodgers repeated as World Series champions this year after they edged out the Toronto Blue Jays in the Fall Classic. They thus became the first team to go back-to-back since the New York Yankees in 2000. Yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner on Monday admitted that he was “concerned” with the Dodgers pulling away from the rest of the league.

Hal Steinbrenner
Hal Steinbrenner (Image via New York Post)

The LA-based side has faced severe criticism regarding its spending over the past few years. The team has not been afraid to splash the cash and strengthen themselves in several positions. As a result of this, many have pointed fingers at them and accused them of “ruining” baseball.

While Hal Steinbrenner praised them, he also expressed fear that their rivals could soon pull away from the rest of them.

Of course it’s a concern. The (Dodgers) have tremendous resources, and they’ve gotten the job done. That’s the big thing. They’ve played to their potential when they needed to… I don’t know what next year is going to bring. But of course it’s always a concern any time I feel that one team is pulling away from the other 29, (or) selfishly, pulling away from me.

Hal Steinbrenner said as per Chris Kirschner

The Dodgers had the highest payroll in the league in 2025 at $350 million. The Yankees sat 3rd in this with a $304 million payroll. Steinbrenner also expressed that it would be ideal for his team to have a low payroll this time out.

Recently, the Yankees welcomed Trent Grisham back. The outfielder accepted the $22.05 million qualifying offer from the team and committed his future to the Bronx Bombers. The team are now in talks with some big free agents like Kyle Tucker and Cody Bellinger and is trying to land them.

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