The Yankees Can't Trust Ryan McMahon Anymore (Here's The Solution)

Ryan McMahon has been an active detriment to the Yankees all year and has continued to falter at the worst possible time.

New York Yankees third baseman Ryan McMahon can't hit, and there's no point in using him if he can't field. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The New York Yankees suffered a full-blown defensive meltdown in Game 2 of the ALDS against the Tampa Bay Rays on Monday night, with their sloppy play evoking memories of Game 5 of the World Series two years ago.

But while the horrific defense was on full display during the game, the most egregious error came on the very first play. Yandy Diaz hit a routine chopper to Ryan McMahon at third base, who inexplicably booted it. Diaz later scored on Jazz Chisholm Jr.'s throwing error, immediately putting pressure on Cam Schlittler and the struggling Yankee lineup.

Ryan McMahon boots the easiest ground ball ever on the first batter of the game

Aaron Boone says he thought about using Anthony Volpe at third base but didn't because he was worried about his defense at Tropicana Field pic.twitter.com/4epOHLvrY3

— Talkin' Yanks (@TalkinYanks) October 6, 2026

McMahon's error set the tone for the rest of the game, as New York committed three more errors in a 5-2 loss that pushed them to the brink of elimination. It's not impossible for the Bronx Bombers to erase a 2-0 deficit. But at this point, it will be impossible if they continue to play McMahon at the hot corner.

Ryan McMahon should not see the field for the rest of the postseason

When the Yankees acquired McMahon at last year's trade deadline, they were banking on him to provide Gold Glove-caliber defense at third while perhaps unlocking untapped offensive potential. Fast-forward to October 2026, and the Yankees have gotten neither.

The 31-year-old is a black hole at the plate, hitting .213/.279/.357 with a 78 wRC+ in 360 regular season plate appearances. McMahon's lack of production has carried into the postseason too, with just one hit in seven at-bats. He's certainly not the only one slumping offensively, but he's mainly in the lineup for his defense.

That error on a routine play in Game 2 was a microcosm of McMahon's glovework this year. After recording 7 Defensive Runs Saved at third with the Yankees in 2025, he logged -3 Defensive Runs Saved alongside a Fielding Run Value of 0, per Baseball Savant. Despite McMahon making a few web gems, inexcusable errors on easy plays balanced everything out, much like in last night's game.

Therefore, if McMahon can't hit and makes basic mistakes in the field, then he is an active detriment to the Yankees as a whole. Honestly, there's no reason for him to be in the starting lineup moving forward. He should strictly be used as a bench piece.

The Yankees should turn to Anthony Volpe at third

Despite Anthony Volpe's lack of third base experience, he is the New York Yankees' best option at this point. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Desperate times call for desperate measures, and at this point, the Yankees' best option at third base is Anthony Volpe.

Volpe, who saw reps at third in Triple-A, made his first major-league appearance at the hot corner back on September 25. Even though he didn't see any balls hit to him in that game, he handled the position fairly well in the minors. Yankees manager Aaron Boone considered starting Volpe at third in Game 2 but decided against it due to Tropicana Field's turf surface, per Gary Phillips of the New York Daily News.

Aaron Boone considered starting Anthony Volpe at 3B tonight, but he didn't want his first time playing there at The Trop to come in a postseason game. #Yankees

— Gary Phillips (@GaryHPhillips) October 5, 2026

With the series heading to Yankee Stadium, the time is now for Boone to play Volpe at third. Granted, there is a case for him to replace Jazz Chisholm Jr. at second due to his awful defensive performance in Game 2, but unlike McMahon, Chisholm has some offensive upside.

Nonetheless, Volpe would be a better option at third than Chisholm himself, especially if his fielding Monday night is any indication.

Additionally, despite Volpe's offense slowing down in the last couple of regular season games (5-for-26 in his final seven contests), the form he displayed since returning to the big leagues on September 10 is still more encouraging than almost anything McMahon has shown this year.

The Yankees rolled out the same lineup in the first two games of the ALDS and totaled just five hits; swapping out one of those struggling players should at least force the Rays to change their plan of attacking New York's lineup.

Nonetheless, Volpe probably won't be a needle-mover in the lineup. But compared to McMahon, who hasn't contributed anything meaningful during this postseason run and jump-started last night's defensive disaster, he's the far superior option.

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