Why Amed Rosario Will Still Be a Thorn in Ryan McMahon's Side

Ryan McMahon finally came through for the New York Yankees, but Amed Rosario should still be above him on the pecking order for now.

New York Yankees third baseman Ryan McMahon (19) runs out a ground ball and is safe on a fielding error by the Miami Marlins during the third inning at Yankee Stadium. | Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images

Michael Wacha is a tough righty who has always given the New York Yankees fits. It's to the point where Aaron Judge didn't get his first extra-base hit against him until their win against the Royals, and even then, it wasn't like Judge did much against Wacha thereafter.

It was telling that, for a team that has been so strict with matchups to the point they benched Ben Rice for two straight games against the Angels, it was Amed Rosario playing third base over Ryan McMahon to face Wacha. Rosario didn't do much of anything in his stead, but the move is less about the results and more about where the Yankees are with McMahon right now.

McMahon, who later came in as a defensive substitution, ended up doing the only bit of damage to the Royals' bullpen. It was very much like Trent Grisham earlier this week, who started the game on the bench and then homered twice.

RYAN MCMAHON FIRST HOMER OF THE YEAR FOR THE LEAD pic.twitter.com/1pppX60ixq

— Talkin' Yanks (@TalkinYanks) April 18, 2026

The difference between Grisham and McMahon, though, is that it doesn't feel likely that McMahon gets anything going from the homer. Not that Grisham has either after his two-homer game, but you can see by the type of contact he's making that he's close. He scorched a liner against the Royals that ended up finding a glove.

McMahon, on the other hand, has a track record with the Yankees that makes Joey Gallo's time here look all-star worthy in comparison. McMahon has hit .193/.301/.307 while in New York.

Coming into that game, he had yet to get an extra-base hit. With the home run, he raised his 25 wRC+ to 50.

One home run shouldn't change his place in the Yankee pecking order. He'll need to show a little more.

"It's been tough," McMahon said of his season, according to MLB.com's Bryan Hoch. "I love this game; I love doing this with these guys. The goal is to win a World Series, and you want to be somebody who helps out. It's been grinding on me. You get sick and tired of it, but that doesn't mean you're going to figure it out. For me, you just never, ever quit."

McMahon vs. Rosario

This could be a jumping-off point for McMahon. After this, he could go on a tear and have the type of bat the Yankees hoped for when they took on all of his money. Realistically, it's hard to see that happen with how poorly he has played.

In a lot of ways, it could end up being akin to Josh Donaldson's walk-off blast against the Rays in 2022. The team was struggling, and so too was Donaldson. He sent one into the seats in extra innings, and it wouldn't be another month before the Yankees regained their footing and eventually took the division. Donaldson, on the other hand, continued to be bad and was eventually booed into oblivion at Yankee Stadium later that year in the ALCS.

New York Yankees designated hitter Josh Donaldson (28) tosses his bat after hitting a game winning grand slam home run against the Tampa Bay Rays during the tenth inning at Yankee Stadium. | Brad Penner-Imagn Images

For now, it wouldn't be so bad to still see what they have with Rosario. Rosario has a lower ceiling than McMahon, but while the struggling third baseman has given nothing up until the start of the Royals series, Rosario has had his moments.

This season, Rosario is hitting .243/.275/.486 with a 109 wRC+. He has two homers, a double, and a triple.

It's about where Rosario has always been in his career. While that isn't great production either, it's still leagues better than McMahon.

Working hard

For as easy as it is to pick on McMahon, you still have to give it to him. He anticipated coming into the game and was working hard for leading up to his at-bat.

"Six out of seven innings, I was in there taking swings," McMahon went on to say. "You want to play good for the men in the room with you. It doesn't feel good, letting your brothers down, especially the guys you grind with every single day. That's not the first time I've done that. It's a humbling game."

All that work in the cages worked out. At least, for that game it did.

The big hope is that he finally becomes the player the Yankees envisioned when they traded for him. If this is the beginning of something, he should still have to earn that playing time. It's hard to ignore his lackluster production thus far.