Ryan McMahon, the New York Yankees’ third baseman, has made adjustments to his batting stance as he prepares for his first full season with the team. Speaking from George M. Steinbrenner Field, McMahon described how working closely with the coaching staff led him to adopt a narrower setup at the plate.
“A lot of good things happen from being a little bit closer together,” McMahon said before Thursday’s 7-3 Grapefruit League win over the Braves. “My hands don’t drop as much, which is a super helpful thing. They travel a little bit higher, and that’s something that I do when I’m swinging it well.”
After joining the Yankees from the Rockies last July, McMahon struggled offensively. He posted a .208 batting average with four home runs and 18 RBIs in 54 games for New York and struck out 62 times in 159 at-bats.
Following the team’s exit from the American League Division Series, McMahon participated in a Zoom session with hitting coaches James Rowson, Casey Dykes, and Jake Hirst. The coaches provided suggestions on his approach at the plate.
“They had a whole presentation and some really good examples,” McMahon said. “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.”
Last season, McMahon’s stance measured 42.7 inches between his feet—one of the widest in baseball—and he stood far from home plate compared to most hitters. By narrowing his stance this spring, he aims to improve hip mobility and lower both his strikeout rate (32.3%) and whiff rate (35.2%), which were among the highest in Major League Baseball.
“It really comes down to cleaning up some of the swing and miss,” manager Aaron Boone said. “That rose a little bit on him last year. If we can cut into that, he’s a guy that not only could hit for some power — as he’s shown throughout his career — but I think there’s some on-base [potential] there.”
McMahon demonstrated progress during Thursday’s exhibition game by hitting a two-run double off Carlos Carrasco in his first at-bat.
“He’s capable of that, and he’s got big power that way,” Boone added. “He can drive the ball the other way with authority. In layman’s terms, he’s a little short of the ball. In this league, you’ve got to make hay on pitches you need to handle.”
McMahon was an All-Star with Colorado in 2024 and has produced a .239 batting average with 144 home runs over nine seasons in Major League Baseball—a slightly below-average OPS+ of 91 for his career.
The Yankees see potential for improvement based on advanced metrics like hard-hit percentage (50.5%) and average exit velocity (93.3 mph).
“Yes, there’s strikeouts in his bat,” general manager Brian Cashman said recently. “Yes, he has power. He has plate discipline. And I think now with us getting a full Spring Training with him, a winter working with him, maybe we can unlock some things.”
While one of McMahon’s standout moments so far came defensively—leaping over a dugout railing for an out during last year’s AL Wild Card Series—he hopes this season will feature more offensive highlights.
“My buddies were stoked about it, so they’d send it to me every now and then,” he said regarding texts about that catch.
“I’m looking forward to being a little more consistent this year,” McMahon said.
