{"id":113885,"date":"2026-02-10T20:04:45","date_gmt":"2026-02-11T01:04:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/?p=113885"},"modified":"2026-02-10T20:04:45","modified_gmt":"2026-02-11T01:04:45","slug":"yankees-ryan-mcmahon-will-prove-himself-2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/2026\/02\/10\/yankees-ryan-mcmahon-will-prove-himself-2026\/","title":{"rendered":"Yankees 3B Looks to Prove Himself This Season"},"content":{"rendered":"

The New York Yankees have remained mostly inactive this offseason, at least in terms of transactions involving major leaguers. This isn\u2019t too surprising considering the trade deadline they had; last July, New York acquired relief pitchers David Bednar<\/a>, Camilo Doval<\/a>, and Jake Bird<\/a>, as well as infielders Amed Rosario<\/a> and Ryan McMahon<\/a>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Rosario\u2019s role was mostly that of a bench\/platoon bat, as the 30-year-old veteran only came into games to face left-handed pitching. McMahon, on the other hand, had a much larger role in the second half<\/a> of New York\u2019s season, taking on starting duties at third base through to the postseason. Though his numbers were not great (at least, the offensive ones), McMahon now has the chance to prove himself as a viable starter at third, and perhaps become New York\u2019s third baseman for the long haul.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Ryan
Jul 26, 2025; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees third baseman Ryan McMahon (19) warms up before his Yankee debut against the Philadelphia Phillies at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: John Jones-Imagn Images<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Ryan McMahon Looking to Cement Himself as Yankees Third Baseman<\/h2>\n

Defensive Wizard<\/h3>\n

The Yankees knew when they acquired the former Gold Glove winner that fielding was his specialty, and maybe they acquired him for this very reason. Before McMahon took over at third, DJ LeMahieu<\/a> and Oswald Peraza<\/a> (neither of whom is still on the roster) were splitting time at third base. The Yankees had 21 errors committed by third basemen in 2025, which was the fifth-most in all of baseball.<\/span><\/p>\n

In came McMahon, who started 49 games at third base for New York last season, instantly tightening up the entire infield with his defensive prowess. He led MLB in range factor (RF\/9) at 2.88 and led MLB third basemen in assists (297), ranked 2nd in putouts (108), and 3rd in DRS (10). Clearly, the longtime Colorado Rockie knows what he\u2019s doing in the field; rather, the main question that he faces this season is whether or not he can up his game at the plate.<\/span><\/p>\n

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RYAN MCMAHON YOU MANIAC!!!! pic.twitter.com\/T5ioOfa5Gb<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Talkin’ Yanks (@TalkinYanks) October 3, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n