Yankees' Ryan McMahon Needs Mechanic Tweaks to Work

This slugger for the New York Yankees has struggled at the plate throughout his career, and he now hopes things can change for him.

Oct 7, 2025; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees third baseman Ryan McMahon (19) during game three of the ALDS round for the 2025 MLB playoffs at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images | Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

It's no secret that Ryan McMahon has all the tools to be a prolific slugger in the league. Those peripheral numbers under the hood are presumably why the New York Yankees assumed the rest of the $32 million owed to him over the next two seasons.

The issue, though, is that McMahon has yet to have even a league-average season. The closest he came was when he hit for a 97 wRC+ in 2022. Outside of that, he has never quite lived up to his potential, with a career wRC+ of 89.

Sep 24, 2022; Denver, Colorado, USA; Colorado Rockies third baseman Ryan McMahon (24) hits a home run during the first inning against the San Diego Padres at Coors Field. Mandatory Credit: John Leyba-Imagn Images | John Leyba-Imagn Images

The big problem for McMahon is the strikeouts. Sure, he could wallop baseballs with the best of them, but he sported 2nd percentile strikeout and whiff rates last season.

He had an ugly 32.3% k rate and an even more offputting 35.2% whiff rate in 2025. This propensity to swing and miss has been there throughout McMahon's tenure in the big leagues, and what the Yankees saw isn't any different from what he has done in his career.

Changing Things Up

It's why McMahon is hoping that the tweaks he made to his mechanics this winter pan out. The Yankees themselves pointed out a few flaws in his game, too.

"Just things I've done in the past and things I kind of got away from," McMahon said of why he has struggled to the New York Post's Greg Joyce. "They pointed them out, and we worked on them. Trying to find a way to give myself basically the best chance every single time and be really consistent with it."

Hitting coach James Rowson believes the changes McMahon made will have a positive outcome.

"He's in a stronger position to drive the baseball more consistently," Rowson told Joyce. "Obviously, throughout a major league season, you're going to have some fluctuation depending on how you feel. Sometimes that can vary, your width. But right now, with him being a little bit more narrow, he's ending up in a good spot to drive the ball from. I like what I see."

The Left Side of the Infield

If Anthony Volpe comes back, and he's healthy, and looks more like the version of himself in 2024 where he had 13 Outs Above Average at shortstop, the left side of the Yankees' infield could be the best in baseball. At least defensively, it could be. If both Volpe and McMahon struggle at the plate, they would effectively be a black hole at the bottom of the lineup.

Aug 5, 2025; Arlington, Texas, USA; New York Yankees third baseman Ryan McMahon (19) makes a catch in front of New York Yankees shortstop Anthony Volpe (11) during the fourth inning against the Texas Rangers at Globe Life Field. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images | Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

McMahon and Volpe are the same type of player. They're defense-first sluggers with some pop, but can't seem to figure out how to hit over the course of a major league season. Those 2025 Yankees were the best offense in baseball, and if the two of them can deliver elite defense while also being league average, there's a chance the 2026 team can eclipse what they did the season prior.

The Yankees need to see it happen first, though. Neither has ever done it. For McMahon while the Yankees hope his above-average exit velocity, barrel rate, and hard hit rates lead to more success in the Bronx, that is something the Rockies also wished for in the most friendly setting for a hitter.

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