Zack Britton Says Yankees' Use of Analytics Has Created 'Rift' in Clubhouse

It turns out not everybody is pleased with the influx of analytics across baseball.

Former New York Yankees reliever Zack Britton said there was a "rift" within the organization over the team's reliance on analytics.

"So I don't really know what discussions are going on. I just know that, as a player there, a lot of times in the clubhouse it felt like there was this disconnect between some of the things we were presented with, and what we were seeing on the field as players," Britton told Ryan Glasspiegel of the New York Post.

"Sometimes that creates a rift, which is not what you want. You want from a clubhouse culture standpoint everything to mesh well together — whether that be the communication from the front office, to the play on the field, and I felt that sometimes the two just weren't connecting well.

"What the players were saying, like, 'Hey, we should be doing this,' and 'This has been working well,' and then sometimes the way that was implemented through the data didn't line up, and I don't think I'm the only player who feels that way.

"But I don't think it was Brian Cashman or Aaron Boone. I think it's an organizational thing."

Analytics discussions are always tricky at this point because every team uses them. All 30 clubs have analytics departments that offer suggestions, most of which are developed in-house. Even MLB's own website has its own analytics arm that can tell you everything you'd want to know about any player across the sport.

So, vilifying analytics at this point is moot.

However, the implementation of analytics remains a delicate balance that all teams must find. Some teams are seemingly run entirely by numbers, others merely use them as a guide and follow their old-school manager's whims.

The Yankees, one of baseball's richest teams, should have the ability to excel in both departments. They have the pockets necessary to fund a robust analytics department and an experienced managerial staff who can work with players on making analytics-based suggestions without causing friction.

Based on Britton's comments—and the Yankees' own struggles in the 2023 season—it appears the organization is struggling to walk the fine line despite its financial advantages.

With Boone and Cashman likely on the hot seat heading into 2024, it'll be interesting to see what tact the Yankees take this offseason to fix their roster and their overall vibes.