Grading Aaron Boone’s performance in 2020 is a near-impossible task, because very few know exactly what a manager’s job entails. Traditionally, a manager gets the last say when setting the lineup, choosing the starting pitcher, and making in-game decisions including pitching changes, pinch hitting/running, and defensive substitutions. In the modern era of analytics, these lines become blurred, and team strategy becomes a groupthink effort. The most we have been told about Boone’s role on the team comes from Brian Cashman’s year-end press conference:
“I know there’s that narrative... about the manager being a puppet.