The New York Yankees are entering the 2026 season, aiming to clinch the coveted World Series title this time around. For that, lineups for each game play a crucial role, and around that lineup has grown a popular narrative among the Bronx fans. Does manager Aaron Boone really have the decision-making autonomy? Brian Cashman and Boone are tired of answering this question.

General manager Cashman has heard enough about how Boone does not have the final say over the Yankees’ lineups. And it’s the front office that meddles and decides who will play and when. In conversation with Chris Kirschner of The Athletic, a frustrated Cashman debunked what he dubbed a “stupid” and “false” narrative.

“It irritates the f— out of me because it’s so stupid, it’s so false, but yet people just throw it out willy-nilly. You can’t get the prior two managers or the current manager to testify under oath that they’ve ever been dictated the lineup once in (my tenure),” stated Cashman.

While Boone found the concept of Cashman or the front office interfering in his job “laughable”, bench coach Brad Ausmus confirmed that Boone has all the autonomy he needs.

According to Ausmus, per The Athletic, “I will unequivocally say that Aaron Boone makes the lineup.”

Boone revealed to The Athletic that, mostly, the lineup is finalized the night before a match. In other cases, he waits till the morning of the match to evaluate how a particular player is feeling.

If he needs another perspective, the Yankees skipper is more likely to consult hitting coaches James Rowson and Casey Dykes. In all of these, the front office remains excluded.

Cashman reportedly stated that he mostly finds out about the lineup when it’s made public. Furthermore, Cashman himself does not feel qualified enough to question Boone’s day-to-day decision. He is happy to rest that responsibility upon Boone, explained Cashman, using the space shuttle as an analogy.

“You need someone to pilot it. You need some expert who’s a pilot that can fly this $300 million to $400 million piece of equipment. They have that expertise. I’m not qualified to fly it, but I’ll hire somebody good and qualified to do so. I let them do their jobs,” remarked Cashman.

According to Cashman, he is content with letting Boone manage the roster, decide lineups, and make in-game decisions, while he provides the support needed.

“My job, the most important thing I can do, is just make sure I have a good process. To me, that means having a high-caliber candidate and then supporting them every way, shape, or form in their position and not micromanaging their position. I don’t do that,” Cashman added.

The front office, as Boone told The Athletic, only gets involved when he seeks their opinion or informs them about any major move.

One such instance was when Jazz Chisholm Jr. was benched for Amed Rosario in Game 1 of the Wild Card Series. Boone made the decision himself, but decided to alert Cashman in case he gets questioned by reporters or Chisholm’s agent. The aim is to show the Yankees as a united front and not in disarray.

Cashman re-emphasized to The Athletic, “A simple truth restated: I’ve got nothing to do with the lineup.”

Over the duration of the 2025 season, Boone came up with 133 different lineup combinations. The Yankees, equipped with Boone’s lineups, ranked fourth last season in the MLB standings, clinching the Wild Card Series.

Most importantly, Boone does not come up with the lineup randomly; there’s a process and guidelines that he follows.

How Aaron Boone creates the Yankees’ lineup

Last month, the Yankees broadcaster, Michael Kay, discussed how the Yankees make their lineups. He suggested they probably have three different lineups suggested by Boone, Ausmus, and the front office. For the final lineup, Boone studies the three and combines them into one.

The Yankees skipper completely dismissed Kay’s notion. “No, that’s not how it works,” he told The Athletic.

Instead, Boone revealed that there are multiple steps, usually beginning with starting pitchers. He and Ausmus start the process by taking the series as a whole and evaluating the opposing team’s potential pitchers. They also evaluate the opponent’s relievers to make pinch-hitting decisions.

“I’m just trying to net different guys that I know are probably going to stay in (the lineup), especially in the middle of the game,” Boone revealed. “I want to keep them away from a lot of bad matchups or force (the opposing team) into it, if they’re going to take that shot. In a lefty scenario where they’re bringing in a guy aggressively, I have protection where you might have to face (Aaron) Judge or (Giancarlo) Stanton if you want to take that shot.”

Ideally, Boone also likes to maintain lineup balance, alternating between handedness throughout. He likes to place the right-handed batters at either 2, 5, and 8 spots or 3, 6, and 9. This helps him to stop the opponent’s reliever from attacking using the same handedness.

As for Captain Aaron Judge, the MVP, Boone wants to give him as many at-bats as possible to get the most out of him and plan hitters around him accordingly.

As per The Athletic, Boone and Ausmus finalize the lineup in the manager’s office when they meet after a match.

It’s quite clear that Boone goes through multiple steps before finalizing a lineup, but seeking validation from Cashman or the front office is not one of them.