Yankees' Ryan McMahon's Defense Doesn't Make Up For Poor Offense

The New York Yankees have a liability at third base.

Mar 13, 2026; North Port, Florida, USA; New York Yankees infielder Ryan McMahon (19) forces out Atlanta Braves third baseman Austin Riley (27) for a double play during the third inning at CoolToday Park. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images | Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images

In order for the New York Yankees to truly "run it back", that would mean their offense is just as good, if not better than it was a year ago.

There's no need to be concerned about a guy like Aaron Judge, but Ryan McMahon is someone who's been getting a lot of attention for all the wrong reasons.

His defensive abilities are off the charts, but he's hitting just .100 this spring and that comes with a hefty sample size.

McMahon is set to make a pretty penny these next two years and that's something the Yankees simply can't afford to have on their roster if he's going to put up numbers as he has so far in 2026.

McMahon's Horrific Offensive Numbers

McMahon's smooth with it 🙌 pic.twitter.com/4uYj4V76o4

— New York Yankees (@Yankees) March 14, 2026

Only outfielder Jasson Dominguez has more at-bats than McMahon this spring. That's an interesting name to be compared to as there's a strong possibility the Yankees demote Dominguez to Triple-A to start the year. McMahon should be a lock to make the Opening Day roster, but the last thing he should do is be content.

McMahon has 30 at-bats in 11 games and has turned that into just three hits, all of which happened to be doubles. He has scored twice and has a pair of RBIs, but nine strikeouts to two walks is far from a great ratio to add to his minuscule number of hits.

His OPS is sitting at .356, which is about as bad as it gets. An 11-game sample size is far from the most, but that's a large portion of games for a projected starter to have in Spring Training. After the team's 6-4 loss to the Philadelphia Phillies, his slash line sits at .100/.156/.200.

Yankees Can't Let McMahon Get Away With This

Mar 5, 2026; Tampa, Florida, USA; New York Yankees shortstop Ryan McMahon (19) doubles against the Minnesota Twins in the fifth inning during spring training at George M. Steinbrenner Field. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

Slumps are going to happen, but McMahon hasn't exactly shown what he's capable of with the Yankees so far. The team brought him in for his defense, but when a guy like Eugenio Suarez was on the market, it's hard to fathom why they kept McMahon as their guy.

They've been testing him at shortstop as well, but this team needs power hitters in the lineup. McMahon is yet another left-handed hitter to throw in the mix, which only further complicates things when it comes to putting together their ideal everyday lineup. The 31-year-old's numbers continue to move in the wrong direction, which is absolutely concerning, especially when he's been one of the team's worst offensive players, prospects included, in Spring Training.

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