Red Sox manager Alex Cora and Yankee manager Aaron Boone shake hands prior to start of opening day game at Yankee Stadium April 8, 2022. Yankees Opening Day

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Red Sox’s Alex Cora Defends Yankees Manager Aaron Boone Amid Constant Criticism

"One of the best in the business"

Red Sox manager Alex Cora and Yankee manager Aaron Boone shake hands prior to start of opening day game at Yankee Stadium April 8, 2022. Yankees Opening Day

Aaron Boone has made his share of debatable decisions as Yankees manager, but his track record speaks for itself. Since taking over in 2018, he has led New York to the postseason six times in seven years, securing three AL East titles and making three ALCS appearances. While last season ended with a World Series loss, Boone’s team won 94 games and finally broke through for a pennant, solidifying his place in Yankees history.

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Despite this, Boone continues to be a lightning rod for criticism. Managing the Yankees comes with unmatched expectations from fans, media, and ownership, where anything short of multiple championships is seen as a failure. However, Red Sox manager Alex Cora, typically an adversary in baseball’s most storied rivalry, offered a strong defense of Boone when the two teams met for a spring training game on Tuesday.

Alex Cora's take on the Yankees: "They're a really good team, managed by one of the best in the business. Yeah, Gerrit is out, but Gerrit was out last year and they made it to the World Series. … That guy over there, man, I know [Aaron Boone] gets a lot of [crap] from people.… pic.twitter.com/JDPpo6JnAX
— Bryan Hoch ⚾️ (@BryanHoch) March 18, 2025

“They’re a really good team, managed by one of the best in the business,” Cora said. “Yeah, Gerrit [Cole] is out, but Gerrit was out last year and they made it to the World Series. … That guy over there, man, I know [Boone] gets a lot of [criticism] from people. But he’s one of the best in the business.”

In Boone’s tenure, the Yankees have never finished below .500 under his leadership, with their worst result coming in 2023 when they placed fourth in the division while dealing with Aaron Judge’s extended absence. Even in that down year, the Yankees still managed 82 wins. His teams have twice eclipsed the 100-win mark (2018, 2019) and came close with 99 wins in 2022.

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Still, the absence of a World Series title remains a looming shadow over Boone’s tenure. The Yankees have always operated under a championship-or-bust mentality, and Boone is well aware of the pressure. His predecessor, Joe Girardi, was dismissed in 2017 despite delivering a championship in 2009 and taking the team to the ALCS in his final season.

Boone now ranks seventh in franchise history in managerial wins, but until he secures a title, the scrutiny will continue. For now, at least, he has a vote of confidence from an unlikely source in Cora.

Aaron Boone

Red Sox

Yankees

Mohsin Baldiwala

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Mohsin Baldiwala is a Master’s student in Journalism and freelance content producer who got hooked on baseball through Seinfeld’s hapless George Costanza. The same reason why he’s a Yankees fan. He writes about sports because he believes it can offer a brief escape from the world’s chaos. Even if that means enduring the heartbreak of the 2024 World Series.