New York Yankees Trust Rachel Balkovec Thanks To Experience, Leadership And Talent

Rachel Balkovec of the New York Yankees is making history and breaking barriers yet again. After becoming the first female full-time strength and conditioning coach in affiliated professional baseball in 2014 and then the first female full-time hitting coach for a major league organization in 2019, Balkovec is now the first female manager in affiliated professional baseball. She will manage the Tampa Tarpons, a Low-A affiliate of the Yankees. The franchise continues its support of gender diversity within baseball. Besides General Partners and Vice Chairpersons Jennifer Steinbrenner Swindal and Jessica Steinbrenner, the Yankees have richly benefitted from the brilliance of Jean Afterman, Kim Ng, and Deborah Tymon in executive leadership positions over the past two decades.    

Balkovec is a perfect combination of art, science, analytics, and skill when it comes to baseball. At a time of data driven performance training, Balkovec is a modern student of the game who is defined by curiosity, experience, and intelligence. Besides the exceptional baseball acumen, Balkovec’s impressive academic credentials perfectly align with the Yankees’ philosophies regarding technology and player development. She possesses a bachelor’s degree in Kinesiology and Exercise Science with two master’s degrees in Sports Administration and Biomechanics.

A former Division I college softball catcher, Balkovec’s decade long journey in acquiring expertise in the field of strength and conditioning led her from Louisiana State University to the Dutch National Baseball and Softball programs in the Netherlands. One of Balkovec’s greatest strengths is her ability to adapt quickly to different circumstances while regularly living out of a suitcase. She has long paid her dues and has exceled with major league ball clubs such as the St. Louis Cardinals and Houston Astros. Let’s also not forget her time in the Arizona Fall League as well as a volunteer assistant strength and conditioning coach at Arizona State University.

Yankees hitting coach, Dillon Lawson, holds Balkovec in the highest of regards since their days working together in the Astros organization. With the recent and surprising news of Eric Chavez leaving the Yankees to accept the hitting coach position for the New York Mets, there is presently an opening on the major league staff for an assistant hitting coach to join Lawson and Casey Dykes. Even though Kristie Ackert of The New York Daily News recently reported the Yankees are considering candidates with major league experience such as Mark Trumbo for the position, there always seemed to be a feeling that Balkovec’s name would still be on the short list of intriguing candidates for the vacant position.

Balkovec’s interests in acquiring knowledge has allowed her to study eye tracking while also becoming an expert in body movement. As she was developing a high proficiency in her field of study, Balkovec was able to utilize her skills and assist in the evaluation of hitting mechanics through human movement. As she is deeply in tune with how ball players make decisions and process information, Balkovec provides a refreshing perspective on the importance of utilizing technology as a means of finding useful applications for player development.     

Even though the news surrounding Balkovec is joyous, there is still an element of disgust that cannot be overlooked amid the celebration. Throughout the years, Balkovec confronted blatant gender discrimination by ball clubs that wouldn’t consider her for strength and conditioning positions even with impressive qualifications that met or exceeded job descriptions. In an ESPN interview with Jessica Mendoza in May 2020, Balkovec recalled a time where she conducted a social experiment by changing the name on her résumé to “Rae” while also saying she was a Division I catcher instead of softball player. Her gender-neutral résumé attracted immediate attention from prospective employers.

Intellectual capital, leadership, and technical skills are attractive traits for anyone who wants to pursue a career in coaching. Diversity of experience, skills, and thought creates a vibrant and progressive environment that promotes inclusivity instead of archaic ways of behaving and thinking. As Balkovec embarks upon an exciting phase in her trailblazing career, she knows there will be a period of adjustment and curiosity with people watching her very closely who might not always have the best of intentions in mind.

In a May 2020 conversation with Brian Kenny on MLB Now, Balkovec summarized the challenges of being a female coach in a male sport into four key questions: What do you know? Are you passionate? Are you consistent? Do you show up every day to help ball players? The New York Yankees trust Rachel Balkovec to successfully manage a minor league ball club within their farm system while positively contributing to the development of prospects. In a sport driven by competitive advantage, a clear message has been sent by an iconic crown jewel franchise to be bold, unafraid, and progressive when hiring the most qualified people for leadership positions.