Yankees Working on Finally Unlocking Infielder’s Bat

When the New York Yankees acquired Ryan McMahon from the Colorado Rockies, they did so with the belief that they would eventually unlock something in the third baseman. Especially since trading for McMahon comes with some risk. They assume the final two years of his six-year, $70 million extension, with no help from the Rockies.

So far, the McMahon with the Yankees has been the one they saw in Colorado, though he has struggled even by his standards at the plate. He hit .208/.308/.333 with four homers and an 84 wRC+. He also had an exorbitent 33.5% k rate — a part of his game that they shouldn't be too surprised about.

Jul 26, 2025; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees third baseman Ryan McMahon (19) reacts after striking out against the Philadelphia Phillies during the fourth inning at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: John Jones-Imagn Images | John Jones-Imagn Images

Once the season ended, the Yankees reached out to McMahon right away. According to the third baseman, he sat in on a Zoom call with James Rowson, Casey Dkyes, and Jake Hirst, during which the hitting coaches made several suggestions to him.

"They had a whole presentation and some really good examples," McMahon said, according to MLB.com's Bryan Hoch. "I had done it before; I just got too wide, probably just trying to compete. Then we watched some Ben Rice, watched some Bryce Harper, just showing how much more they were getting through the ball. It was pretty clear as day."

Unlocking McMahon

Spring results are often misleading. If performing well meant that a player was due for a big season, the Yankees likely would have locked down Kyle Higashioka and Tyler Wade, who were the exhibition kings, often shooting way above their talents in March. This is why it's hard to take McMahon's early success in Spring Training to mean anything, but it is good to see something with these adjustments after how he struggled last season in New York.

Mar 12, 2020; West Palm Beach, Florida, USA; New York Yankees shortstop Tyler Wade (14) singles against the Washington Nationals in the third inning at FITTEAM Ballpark of the Palm Beaches. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images | Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

In three games, McMahon already has two doubles. With those doubles, though, are the strikeouts. He had one against Detroit and two against Pittsburgh.

McMahon credits that early success to what he learned from his hitting coaches over the winter.

"My hands don't drop as much, which is a super helpful thing," McMahon said after his third game of the spring. "They travel a little bit higher, and that's something that I do when I'm swinging it well."

There's no doubt that the tools are all there for him. He has a 95th percentile exit velocity, an 89th percentile hard hit rate, and a 76th percentile barrel rate. His ability to crush the ball is there. Unfortunately for McMahon, he has yet to have a full season that is even league-average.

The Yankees are hoping this is the year. Even league average would be an improvement.

Despite an 86 wRC+, McMahon's glove was so prolific that he accumulated 1.9 WAR according to Fangraphs in 2026. His highest mark yet was a 97 wRC+ in 2022, and he came out of that season with a 3.1 WAR. There's no doubt that if the Yankees finally mine the skills from his bat that the Rockies were never able to do, he has a shot to be one of the more valuable sluggers in the league.

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