Ryan McMahon didn’t try to spin it. After launching a three-run homer against the Nationals last week, the New York Yankees third baseman met the moment with blunt honesty that matched the Bronx: “Oh, man, finally… I’ve sucked. I don’t think it’s a secret, so I’m just trying to get going.” The quote came via Yankees beat writer Gary Phillips. It quickly ricocheted through the news cycle, a rare, unguarded admission from a mid-season acquisition brought in to settle third base.
Owning the Slump is Step One
The Yankees acquired McMahon from the Rockies in late July to close a revolving door at the hot corner. The price wasn’t nothing: lefty Griffin Herring—a fast-riser in New York’s system—and righty Josh Grosz went to Colorado, while the Yankees also took on the remainder of McMahon’s deal. The defense arrived on time; the bat hasn’t. McMahon’s OPS in pinstripes has hovered in the sub-.650 range, exactly the sort of output that forces a contender to confront hard truths in September.
His candid postgame moment didn’t happen in a vacuum. It followed that Bronx blast against Washington, which briefly hinted at the version of McMahon the Yankees expected to see more often down the stretch. Multiple outlets amplified the quote because of what it signaled: self-awareness, accountability, and a player who understands the assignment on a team with high expectations for the month of October.
New York didn’t trade for a savior; it traded for stability with upside. The glove has been on the floor, a material upgrade that let the Yankees stop playing musical chairs at third and kept other pieces (like Jazz Chisholm Jr.) in more natural spots. Even early aggregation pieces noting McMahon’s offensive drought have acknowledged the defensive value and how it helped Aaron Boone lock in a cleaner infield picture.
None of that erases the need for production. The Yankees don’t need McMahon to mash like Aaron Judge; they need him to win two or three swing decisions a night, lift the ball to the pull side, and punish mistakes, the things that travel regardless of ballpark and can flip tight games in September. His game-tying or lead-stretching home run against the Nationals showed the blueprint: get a fastball you can handle, don’t miss it, and let the stadium do the rest.
Why the Bat Still Matters
The calculus around the trade will keep simmering as well, because Herring has wasted no time flashing with his new club. Early returns have the lefty carving in High-A, piling strikeouts and keeping runs off the board, a reminder that New York didn’t dip into the system lightly to plug third base. That context ups the pressure on McMahon to turn contact quality into results, not just competitive at-bats.
Slumps often appear worse right before they turn around, and accountability can be a lever that resets a season. McMahon’s admission plays in a clubhouse that has lived the grind all year, and it tends to resonate with hitting coaches who harp on plans, zones, and swing decisions. If the approach tightens even a tick—chase down, pull-side air up—the profile turns quickly.
Accountability isn’t a stat, but in September it often precedes one. McMahon has already checked the first box by saying the quiet part out loud. Now comes the part that actually moves the standings, and justifies the bet the Yankees made in July.
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