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Ryan McMahon Takes Advantage of Postseason Opportunity

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Ryan McMahon has already gotten as much postseason action in half a season with the New York Yankees as he did in nine seasons with the Colorado Rockies. It’s a shame that much of McMahon’s prime was wasted with a non-competitive Rockies club. But he is still only 30 and has proved his worth to the Yankees in their brief postseason run this season.

Ryan McMahon Takes Advantage of Postseason Opportunity

McMahon’s Emergence this Postseason

McMahon hit a solid .286 with a stellar .833 OPS in six postseason games with the Yankees. Including a solo home run on Wednesday against the Toronto Blue Jays in a 5-2 loss. But McMahon will be remembered more for his stellar glove work this postseason than his bat. A trait of McMahon’s game that Rockies fans have known well since McMahon took over the hot corner following the Nolan Arenado trade. His lockdown defense made an emergence on a big stage in a winner-take-all game against the Boston Red Sox.

 

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Can’t think of a better way for a new Yankee to endear himself to the fans in the Bronx. It definitely elicited a strong reaction from his new teammates. The New York Post recorded the teams’ reactions to the amazing play following the clinching Game 3 win. Yankees catcher Austin Wells had a perfect view of the play from behind the plate.

“I thought he was dead.”

Luckily for McMahon, he had enough adrenaline going through him that he took the fall like a champ.

“Didn’t really feel anything,” McMahon said. “I’m sure I hit everything in that dugout, though.”

McMahon’s manager had his back just in case. Aaron Boone said he sprinted out of the dugout and was ready to go as McMahon was entrenched in the Boston dugout. But it worked out great for Boone’s new third baseman, who is no stranger to outstanding defensive plays. However, McMahon did say that a play like that definitely means a lot more when the games really matter. He is finally getting to play in games that matter, and he is showing out.

 

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Happy Ending in McMahon Trade

The Rockies were big winners right away after trading McMahon to New York at the deadline. Although McMahon didn’t have nearly as strong a first half as last season, the Rockies still managed to offload his contract and get two top pitching prospects in return. One of whom, Left-handed pitcher Griffin Herring, is now the Rockies’ ninth-ranked prospect and has looked excellent while pitching for High-A Spokane.

The Rockies also got Right-handed pitcher Josh Grosz in the deal, who is currently 20th in the Rockies’ top 30. Even if the Rockies didn’t get two top prospects from the Yankees in this deal, it would have still been a win for the club to offload McMahon’s contract. But in doing so, it made the Rockies’ return that much better. However, unlike the Jake Bird trade, the Yankees ended up winners in the McMahon trade, too.

McMahon was underwhelming as a left-handed offensive option for the Yankees at third base. This was expected at the deadline, considering McMahon’s offensive struggles this season. But it was also expected that McMahon would be a defensive upgrade anywhere he went at the deadline. Yes, it was magnified in the postseason. But McMahon lived up to that billing in the regular season. Fellow Yankees’ third baseman Amed Rosario posted a putrid -7 outs above average this season, per Statcast. While McMahon is in the 91st percentile with a stellar 6 OAA, shoring up the defense at the position for New York.

McMahon Taking Momentum into Offseason

McMahon is still under contract for two more seasons with the Yankees. Due $16 million guaranteed each of the next two seasons. He will be expected to improve upon his .214 average this season. But he was in line with his career home run production, reaching at least 20 home runs for the sixth time in seven seasons. It will also help to get a full offseason with his new club.

Yankees fans saw the best of McMahon this postseason. Outstanding defensively, combined with solid production offensively. Throughout his Rockies career, McMahon would consistently be an offensive force for the Rockies during the first half. When his offense is clicking, he is an All-Star-level player, earning his first career All-Star nod in 2024. But he would also consistently suffer from an offensive slump in the second half.

 

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If he can be consistent offensively, he is a top third baseman in the league. Additionally, he is still in a hitter-friendly park in New York, and without the altitude. It’s a sour time right now for Yankees fans following a disappointing 3-1 series loss to the Blue Jays. But McMahon showed the level of player he can be when playing at his best. Good for McMahon, who took full advantage of his first postseason opportunity in seven years.

Main Photo Credits: Brad Penner-Imagn Images

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