The baseball world is mourning the loss of another legend. Just days after longtime Yankees radio voice John Sterling passed away at 87, Hall of Fame manager Bobby Cox has also left us. Cox, who led the Atlanta Braves to 14 straight division titles, five National League pennants, and the 1995 World Series championship, holds a special place in Yankees history too. He played for the Bombers in 1968 and 1969, sharing the field with Mickey Mantle and appearing in 220 games, mostly at third base. Later, he managed in the Yankees' minor league system and served as Billy Martin's first base coach during their 1977 World Series run. Cox also holds the record for most ejections as a manager at 162—a mark that current Yankees skipper Aaron Boone is chasing. He was elected to the Hall of Fame in 2014. Our thoughts are with his family.
Speaking of adjustments, Ryan McMahon's turnaround at the plate is a story worth telling. After a rough start that saw him hitting just .167 through April, the infielder turned to Yankees superstar Aaron Judge for help. Judge noticed that McMahon was shifting his weight from his back hip to his front heel too early, causing him to lose sight of the ball. With Judge, Paul Goldschmidt, and the Yankees' hitting coaches, McMahon worked on keeping his weight back just a fraction longer. The result? A stunning May performance: .375 batting average and a 192 wRC+. Sometimes, all it takes is the right advice from the right teammate.
In other Yankees news, Gerrit Cole is taking another step in his comeback. The ace will make his fifth rehab start with Double-A Somerset this Sunday. It's been a long road since his Tommy John surgery in March 2025, and while Cole has shown flashes of his old dominance, the team is being patient. Each start brings him closer to rejoining a rotation that could use his firepower down the stretch.
And finally, a scary moment turned into a show of resilience for Yankees prospect Chase Schlittler. During a recent outing, a hard comebacker came right back at him on the mound. But instead of flinching, Schlittler calmly fielded the ball and threw the runner out. It's the kind of poise that scouts love to see—and a reminder that in baseball, the mental game is just as important as the physical one.