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August 23, 2025, Bronx, New York, USA: Aug 23, 2025 Bronx, New York, USA New York Yankees infielder Amed Rosario 14 swings at a pitch at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bronx USA – ZUMAs325 20250823_zsp_s325_003 Copyright: xJessxStilesx
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August 23, 2025, Bronx, New York, USA: Aug 23, 2025 Bronx, New York, USA New York Yankees infielder Amed Rosario 14 swings at a pitch at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bronx USA – ZUMAs325 20250823_zsp_s325_003 Copyright: xJessxStilesx
The Yankees’ offense turned cold in the second game against the A’s. Trent Grisham and Aaron Judge scored 1 run each, and nothing else came from the others, as the Yankees went down by 2-3 against the A’s. However, more than anyone, it’s Ryan McMahon’s struggle at the batter’s box that is catching all the attention. He went 0-for-3 with two strikeouts on Wednesday, which was enough for the Bleacher Creatures to turn on their shortstop.
“If I knew, I don’t think I’d be in the slow start. I’m grinding. I’m not happy about it, I’m sure other people aren’t. At the end of the day, it’s about the team winning. I’ll keep working and try to turn it around,” McMahon said after the game on Wednesday.
Well, despite the Yankees going down in the second game against the A’s, they are still leading the division with a record of 8-3. So, even if Wednesday’s loss shouldn’t matter much, McMahon’s struggle is concerning despite his assurances of working on his game.
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However, while the Yankees fans are hoping to see better stats from McMahon, he was never a .300 hitter. Rather, he is a career 88 wRC+ hitter. His best offensive output came in 2022, when he hit .246/.327/.414 with a 97 wRC+. His two best seasons came in 2019 and 2021 with the Rockies, when he hit around .250 and slugged 23-24 HRs.
Ryan McMahon was asked what’s going on at the plate:
“If I knew, I don’t think I’d be in the slow start. I’m grinding. I’m not happy about it, I’m sure other people aren’t. At the end of the day, it’s about the team winning. I’ll keep working and try to turn it around.” pic.twitter.com/LwzwLBhSAZ
— Yankees Videos (@snyyankees) April 9, 2026
Since then, the numbers have been going southward only. Since joining the Yankees, his numbers stand at .189/.303/.297. This season’s been even worse, tallying just two hits in 33 plate appearances and batting .077/.273/.077. That’s not just a rough patch; McMahon is struggling to even make contact. He is currently striking out at a near 38% clip.
And just as McMahon is struggling with the Yankees, the team got an unlikely hero in Amed Rosario. In the first game against the A’s, the Yankees started him instead of McMahon, and he slugged a three-run, go-ahead bomb. Rosario managed to score 2 runs and 4 RBIs from his 4 at-bats. He is currently hitting .286 in 2026.
Last year, the Yankees assumed McMahon’s $70 million contract with the Rockies that goes through 2027. But the slugger is yet to offer the best return on his investment. And just as Rosario is surging, McMahon might have limited time available to activate his power-hitting mode.
“I mean, Mac’s a good major league hitter. It’s 10 games in, okay? He’s scuffling right now, but the reality is, the last 3 games, he’s been on base 4 times too with walks and hits and big at-bats.” Aaron Boone, however, stood behind his slugger. But the Yankees fans were not so generous as they called out McMahon.
The Yankees fans are left unimpressed with Ryan McMahon
The fans wonder what McMahon needs to come out of his rough patch that started when he joined the Bombers. “Unbelievable, this guy has all the money in the world and can’t pay for a f—— hitting coach to fix his damn hitting issues. If I were him with this opportunity, I would not get out of a f—— batting cage or something. You are playing with the Yankees, Ryan, wake the f— up!” one fan shared his frustration.
Well, McMahon recorded .242 in 2024. It came down to .214 in 2025, and now it’s currently .077 this year. So, the fans wonder how much more time he needs to work on his hitting and if he is even making any efforts. Remember when Red Sox legend David Ortiz shared how the Dodgers built a dedicated batting cage for Shohei Ohtani.
Ohtani promised that a dedicated batting cage would make his batting even better. So, the Yankees fans are asking why McMahon is not making such moves, especially considering he has a $70 million contract. “16 million/yr. Figure it out,” another fan agrees.
“If McMahon’s offense gets even near the caliber of his defense, holy smokes,” one user remarked. Despite McMahon’s slump at the batter’s box, he is a different man on defense. He has 66 DRS and 46 OAA since 2017 that speaks a lot about his defensive caliber. Last year, he recorded 10 DRS and 6 OAA. So, the fans wonder if McMahon could match his offensive skill with his defense.
However, typically, McMahon was always a better defensive player than an offensive player. “He’s a career 85 wRC+ …this isn’t a slump, this is who he is,” one fan said. He never touched .300 in his career, and his OPS always hovered around .700. So, as per a few fans, McMahon’s current stats are not a slump, but it is how he has played all these years. “McMahon’s just in midseason form,” another agrees.
Hence, with fans already turned on him and Rosario’s surge, McMahon needs to race against time to secure his place with the Yankees.
Written by
Edited by
Arunaditya Aima