McMahon is related to former Baseball Commissioner Larry MacPhail. Ryan is Larry's great grand-nephew on his mother's side. (Rockies Magazine - April 2019)

Bobby Grich was Ryan's neighbor growing up. So whenever the occasion arose, the young McMahon would hit and pay catch with Grich's stepson, Brandon.

In 2013, McMahon's senior year at Mater Dei High School in Yorba Linda, California, he committed to the University of Southern California on a baseball and football scholarship.

In addition to being the star third baseman, he was also the quarterback for the Monarchs' football team—and a good one, too. Good enough to commit to a football scholarship to Southern Cal.

In 2013, Ryan got drafted by the Rockies (see Transactions below).

McMahon is a leader—very vocal on the field. Ryan also displays mental and emotional maturity in dealing with adversity. He is very smart and intuitive about the game. And he has a gamer mentality.

In 2014, the Baseball America Prospect Handbook rated McMahon as the 8th best prospect in the Rockies organization. He was at #5 in 2015 and 2016. He only dropped to #9 in the spring of 2017.

In 2018, they moved Ryan up to second-best Rockies prospect, behind only SS Brendan Rodgers.

In 2015, Ryan led the Cal League with 43 doubles and was fourth with a .372 on-base percentage. He also slammed 18 homers—12 in the second half—despite playing in Modesto, a graveyard by league standards.

In 2017, Ryan represented the Rockies in the All-Star Futures game.

On August 11, 2017, the Rockies called McMahon up to make his MLB debut. Ryan is blocked at third base, his primary position, by Nolan Arenado. The Rockies have shifted him around different positions this season, with 49 starts at first base, 32 at second and 24 at third. McMahon has responded with his best season and solid defense as well, including a highlight-reel play during the Futures Game in Miami while playing first base.

Playing in the Majors requires mental preparation, and Ryan said Rockies assistant hitting coach Jeff Salazar has helped him in that regard. The biggest thing McMahon needs to focus on, the same thing Salazar had to do in his rookie season, is "slowing the game" down.

In 2017, McMahon played almost every day in the Minors.  But since his promotion on Aug. 11, he has just five plate appearances in four games.  Going from consistently starting to a utility role takes a lot of adjustments, McMahon said, and the most important thing is to stay ready no matter what.

"He's never done it before, and in the Minor Leagues, it's difficult to train someone to do that," Salazar said.  "There's a period where it's 'Oh, the lights, the field, the stadium,' there's MLB Network TV crews going around with all the cameras.

"There's so many little elements that you kind of know of, but you're not experiencing until you're here. Maybe's he's different, he's always been a name . . .  but it's just helping him work through all those thoughts and feelings." Salazar worked with McMahon last season when he was the hitting coach at Hartford. With the relationship they've built, Salazar is also helping the rookie take some pressure off himself.

"I'm trying to make sure he doesn't feel that he has to get a hit every at-bat," Salazar said. "Because pinch-hitting, if you don't do anything all day and then you go pinch-hit and you strike out, it feels bad. You feel like you've failed the team. There's a lot of weight on that one at-bat."  (Gelman - mlb.com - 8/15/17)

2017 Season:  Every year, minor league fans get the opportunity to vote in many different categories for award winners for the season. The whole event is known as the MiLBYs, and this year, Rockies rising star Ryan McMahon won the honor for top offensive player with 21% of the fans’ vote.

In April, it was clear that McMahon was poised to have a big year for the Rockies organization. His batting average stayed north of .400 for a couple weeks before eventually settling down to .326 for the Double-A Hartford Yard Goats.

Nonetheless, McMahon’s strong performance earned him a call-up to the Triple-A Albuquerque Isotopes where he performed even better than he did in Hartford. At the end of the season, he had a .374 batting average in AAA baseball and a .355 average overall on the year. 

Ryan is a very good dancer. Even as a little boy, he could see a dance move and mimic it. That started at age 6. And even when he was a teenager, his mom says he'd dance, rather than walk, down the hall at home. He would even dance while cleaning up his room.

2019 Season: After getting very familiar with I-25 between Albuquerque and Denver in 2018, Ryan McMahon proved that he belonged in Denver long-term. McMahon transitioned to become a primarily second baseman this year, which came with difficult task of trying to fill the enormous shoes left by DJ LeMahieu. He started off strong, slashing .424/.470/.763 with 13 extra base hits (nine doubles, one triple, and three home runs) in Spring Training. That led him to being awarded the Abby Greer Award, which is awarded to the Rockies Spring Training MVP.

McMahon did, however, have some growing pains and hit a few roadblocks this season. In April, he landed on the Injured List for the first time in his career after running into AJ Pollock while trying to run out a throw to first base. That was also when Daniel Murphy, David Dahl, and Jake McGee were on the Injured List. In his first game back on April 18, he hit his first two home runs of the season and went 3-for-4 with five RBI and nine total bases.

In May, Brendan Rodgers was called up, which meant he and McMahon split time at second base. It certainly meant another different role for McMahon, who has been floated around the infield, but he returned to being the primary second baseman once Rodgers was optioned and later put on the Injured List with a shoulder injury.

Despite some of those roadblocks, McMahon made huge strides as a second baseman. He played in 141 games this year, after only playing in 91 in 2018. During those 141 games he hit 24 home runs and 83 RBI — both Rockies franchise records for a primary second baseman. The 24 home runs also ranked him fourth on the team. He also slashed .250/.329/.450, all career highs despite a September slump that cost him some points.

In 2019, McMahon finished as a Silver Slugger finalist at second base, but he lost out to Ozzie Albies. Defensively, McMahon finished with a .972 fielding percentage and committed 13 errors. As a first year full-time middle infielder, that’s not bad and will get better with more consistent reps and playing time in the middle. (Samantha Bradfield - SBNation - Nov. 9, 2019)

Jan 17, 2020: McMahon’s next step could amount to the next leap for the Rockies. The Rockies’ disappointing 2019 season featured a fair amount of lineup turnover. They introduced first-time, full-season Major League regulars at catcher (Tony Wolters), in the outfield (David Dahl and Raimel Tapia shared time in center and left with veteran Ian Desmond) and McMahon at second base.

Through its Phone-a-Story program, the Denver Public Library had never had professional athletes read stories to children before Ian Desmond and Ryan McMahon. The two Rockies not only made history with the program, but also turned their stories into two of the most successful segments the library has ever seen.

Normally each reading of a book lasts for one week on the Phone-a-Story program. However, the popularity of Ian Desmond reading, “Dragons Love Tacos” and Ryan McMahon reading “Is Your Mama a Llama?” pushed the Denver Public Library to have the readings available for two weeks in April and May featuring the two baseball players. (Kevin Henry - May 16, 2020)

2020 Season: Coming into spring training this season, Ryan McMahon was a popular breakout candidate. The 25-year old had just finished his first full season in the big leagues where he showed some power (24 home runs and an average exit velocity of 91.9 mph) and versatility in the field. With some adjustments, it’s easy to see how McMahon could have cut back a bit on strikeouts (29.7%) and improved his groundball rate (50.8%) ever so slightly to make big gains on his overall performance at the plate.

Rather than take a step forward in 2020, these numbers all went the wrong direction. Just watching McMahon at the plate, it never appeared that he was comfortable. If that’s the case, it’s understandable and I’m sure we can all relate to feeling uncomfortable at times (if not most of the time) in 2020. Most notably, his strikeout rate (34.2%) and batting average (down from .250 to .215) went in the wrong direction. That strikeout rate was sixth worst in all of MLB among qualified hitters.

His exit velocity, hard hit rate, and barrel percentage were all very impressive, however, and it doesn’t look like there’s an issue with his raw tools declining. In fact, McMahon was second only to Trevor Story with nine homers on the season.

McMahon saw most of his action at second base this season, while also logging some innings at the corner infield positions. He earned 1 out above average (OAA), which placed him slightly above average among MLB second basemen in 2020. It’s a nice improvement from the -3 OAA from his 2019 fielding at second base.

Even though he didn’t live up to expectations at the plate in the shortened 2020 season, it’s clear that McMahon has leaned into his role on the team at second base and put in the work to improve defensively.  (Chet Gutwein@cgutwein - Oct 27, 2020)

2021 Season: To put it simply, McMahon has been absolutely phenomenal from a defensive perspective. In fact, his 11.0 defensive fWAR rank third in the National League and fifth in all of Major League Baseball. Not only was he clutch in the field, but he also offered versatility in the infield for Colorado.

The 26-year-old played in 151 games this season, spending time at third base on 113 occasions while appearing at second base in 52 games. (Evidently, there were some games in which he played both positions). While McMahon’s lack of one true position could hurt him in the Gold Glove race, it is evident that he was one of the league’s best defenders in 2021.  (Andersen Pickard - October 17, 2021)

2022 Season: Coming off a 4.0 rWAR season in 2021 where he set career highs in batting average and RBI, as well as receiving his first career Gold Glove nomination, Ryan looked set to take the next step in 2022. After signing a six-year, $70 million contract in the offseason, he wasn’t able to exceed his 2021 in most categories but did maintain, providing as a solid contributor for the Rockies — 3.1 rWAR, slashing .246/.327/.414 with 20 HR and 67 RBI for a 95 wRC+. He also was nominated for the Gold Glove.

In 2021, RyMac split time defensively between third and second. But with Brendan Rodgers’ breakout season at second, he spent most of 2022 at third. The added time only enabled him to solidify his position as one of the best defensive third basemen in the game. Despite leading the majors in errors at his position, McMahon ended up third in defensive runs saved (DRS) behind his fellow Gold Glove nominees Ke’Bryan Hayes and Nolan Arenado.  (Robert Walgren - Dec 1, 2022)

2023 Season: 2.59 rWAR  -   McMahon has blossomed into arguably one of the premier third basemen in MLB today. That kind of defensive utility was thought to have left Denver forever after the departure of the Sandblaster-that-shall-not-be-named, but McMahon has filled that role splendidly. 

Now it’s true that “RyMac” is a wizard on defense, but he’s also been one of Colorado’s more impressive power threats as well. 2023 marked his third-straight season with at least 20 home runs, and he would have his fourth-straight if we discount the COVID-shortened 2020 season. The Rockies have been somewhat sapped of power recently, being near the bottom of MLB in long balls the last few seasons, so they won’t say no to having that kind of pop in the upper half of their lineup. He could stand to up the average — .254 being his career high — but the ability to knock in runs is something Colorado can’t overlook.

That’s the thing though — the Rockies are going to have to figure out where McMahon fits in long-term. As much of this series has explored, the youth movement is in full swing in Denver and the Rockies are looking to determine who is going to stick around for the long haul. (Mac Wilcox@MacWilcoxCBP - Dec 12, 2023)

McMahon posted a hit in 60.8% of his 148 games last year, with multiple base hits in 23.6% of those contests (35).He went yard in 22 of 148 games in 2023 (14.9%), which is 3.7% of his trips to the plate.

McMahon came around to score in 44.6% of his games this season (66 of 148), with two or more runs scored in 11 of those games (7.4%).In 29.7% of his 148 games a year ago, he picked up an RBI (44 times). He’s also put up 16 games with multiple RBI (10.8%), and plated three or more of his team’s runs in seven contests.McMahon struck out one or more times 119 times last year in 148 games played (80.4%), including 56 times punching out multiple times (37.8%).

Feb 22, 2024: McMahon is floating on new-dad glee and little sleep after he and his wife, Natalie, welcomed their first child, a daughter, Austyn Brooke. That’s real life and, as he says, “She’s awesome.” 

July 2024: McMahon was selected as a reserve to the All-Star Game. 

2024 Season: The 29-year-old had a solid season, hitting .242/.325/.397 with 28 doubles and 20 home runs. McMahon was named an All-Star for the first time in 2024, batting .242 with 20 home runs, 28 doubles, 65 RBI, four stolen bases, a .722 OPS and a 2.5 WAR across 153 games of action.

Through June 25, he was hitting .281 with an .840 OPS, but he hit just .200 with a .596 OPS from that point forward. 

July 8, 2025: McMahon played his 1,000th career game with the Rockies.

TRANSACTIONS

June 2013: The Rockies chose Ryan in the second round, out of Mater Dei High School, Yorba Linda, California. And McMahon signed for $1,327,600. Jon Lukens is the scout who signed McMahon.

The Rockies have a history of drafting and signing quarterbacks, including Todd Helton, Seth Smith, and Russell Wilson, who all played QB in college. Add McMahon to the list.

Jan 15, 2021: Ryan and the Rockies avoided arbitration by agreeing to a one-year deal for $2.3 million.

March 21, 2022: McMahon and the Rockies agreed to a six-year, $70 million contract to avoid salary arbitration.

McMahon can opt out following the 2025 season with a top-five MVP finish in any year from 2022-24. McMahon can opt out after 2026 with a top-five MVP showing in 2025. 

McMahon has a compact, fluid, and easy lefthanded swing and the ability to hit to all fields. He should hit for both power (mostly pull power) and a good batting average in the Major Leagues once his plate discipline and pitch recognition improve.

Ryan has a natural swing with tremendous raw power, almost exclusively to his pull side. McMahon is still learning how to adjust his bat head as needed. He is at his best when he can extend his arms. But this leaves him vulnerable to inside pitches and a lot of strikeouts. He can be susceptible to inside heat. He will have to more consistently drive the ball to the opposite field. He has a bit of a hook in his swing, which makes him susceptible to quality fastballs

Ryan has good hitting instincts, stays inside the ball and uses the whole field like an older hitter—a middle-of-the-field approach. It helps him make steady contact. So he should hit for power and a good average as a middle-of-the-order run producer. When opponents shift the infield to defend him, he can take the ball the other way or even bunt his way on.

In 2017, McMahon improved his plate coverage by leveling his swing. He traded loft for selectivity to help his power play. (Spring, 2018)

McMahon has leverage in his lefthanded stroke and can crush the ball. He has a natural uppercut, lefthanded swing with power to all fields. And he has excellent bat speed.

Ryan has strong, quick hands with natural loft in his swing to center and right field. McMahon can be too pull conscious, however, when he’s equally capable of hitting opposite-field line drives.

2014 Season: After ranking second in the Rookie-level Pioneer League in slugging (.583) in 2013, McMahon moved up to low Class A Asheville and tied teammate Correlle Prime for the South Atlantic League lead in RBIs (102) and finished second in OPS (.860) and doubles (46) and tied for second in runs (93).

2015: Ryan’s beautiful swing is the strongest asset of his game. McMahon’s stroke is simple. He keeps his hands at a high level the entire swing. This allows McMahon to generate a stroke extremely conducive to line drives.

MLB Farm reports that over 24% of McMahon’s balls in play in 2015 were liners, and only 1.78% were popups, so this kid certainly knows how to square up a baseball. Mechanically, Ryan begins with a simple weight transfer, plants his front foot down, and then throws his long arms and hips into his swing.

McMahon has one flaw at the plate; he’s a free swinger. It's something McMahon needs to work on.

A solid athlete, McMahon has regained confidence, reined in some of his aggressiveness and feasted on mistakes this year (2017) while competing consistently against better pitching. Still, he has just 2 of his 19 homers against lefthanded pitchers, who had held him to a .236 average.

McMahon has improved his contact rate this season, shortening his swing and using the whole field more. That's helped him get to his solid-average power, which at this stage plays more consistently to the gaps away from hitter's paradises such as Albuquerque.

What about the future?  Of course, McMahon will be playing at a hitter's haven at Coors Field, but doing it against big league pitching, not the Pacific Coast League's finest. With all due respect to the PCL, McMahon likely will find the sledding tougher against big league pitching, but he has the contact skills, power and versatility to be an asset for the Rockies down the stretch and to be a long-term fixture on the right side of the infield for a contender. (John Manuel - Baseball America - 8/11/2017)

In 2017, McMahon was named the Rockies Minor League Hitter of the Year by MLBPipeline.com.

2018 Season: Ryan spent much of the season shuttling between the Majors and Triple-A but performed when he stayed in one place long enough to gain a rhythm. He hit .305 with a .908 OPS in his final extended stint in the PCL, then was called back up to Colorado on July 29 and remained in the Majors for the rest of the season.

McMahon remains an athletic hitter with a smooth lefthanded swing that produces consistent hard contact. He’s adjusted his approach to focus on hitting fastballs and spitting on off-speed pitches, and with that change in approach has come more hard contact and fewer strikeouts.

Hitting would be simple if it were call-and-response. Hey, Ryan McMahon, in your stance, hold your bat so that the head points toward the second deck, instead of the on-deck circle . . . Boom. Rockies coaches gave McMahon that simple bit of advice in June 2018.

By beginning to apply it, he went from overmatched to a key off-the-bench component of a postseason team. But in March 2019, after an offseason of truly studying the how and understanding the why, McMahon is lighting up Spring Training and showing he is ready for regular duty at second base.

During a 6-3 victory over the Reds, McMahon launched a Tyler Mahle changeup 466 feet for a home run, and stayed with a Mahle slider and pulled a double into the right-field corner. Add to that a nice barehand grab-and-sling to first, after Jesse Winker’s drive bounced off pitcher Kyle Freeland in the bottom of the third, and it was a big day in a big spring game.

McMahon, 24, is sizzling at .444 with three homers, 11 RBIs and a 1.335 OPS. Yes, it’s the Cactus League—the same schedule that he hit .319 against last year, before needing two options to Triple-A Albuquerque before he could contribute meaningfully to the big club. But this is different, and McMahon feels it.

“You hear a lot of people say, ‘Oh, it’s just spring, it’s just spring,’” McMahon said. “But when you’re going good, you definitely put it up a little bit higher.”

Kind of like how McMahon is holding the bat head higher. The bat position was something then-hitting coach Duane Espy and still-assistant hitting coach Jeff Salazar brought to his attention last year, and Triple-A Albuquerque hitting coach Tom Doherty drilled. The adjustment took some time. He hit .256 with a .752 OPS after the All-Star break, after a .211 average and .620 OPS before the break. The adjustment in the bat position was key to getting McMahon more efficiently into hitting position—the stage of the swing where the hands move away, the weight is on the back leg and the front leg is ready to stride. The better position allows for better pitch recognition, a shorter stroke to the ball and a chance to make contact in front.

Eliminating the poor positioning habits that had crept into his swing allows McMahon to better use his bat speed, which the Rockies consider elite. The offseason was devoted to consistency. In addition to the bat positioning, McMahon added more bend in his waist, which has given him more power.

“There were definitely points, like, ‘Hey, I got it this at-bat . . . Oh, shoot, I lost it again,’” McMahon said. “There were some things that got fixed with the help of a lot of people.

Trent Otis works for Zona Baseball Instruction in Phoenix. He's a former player and coach who has worked with the Rockies’ David Dahl. "Trent Otis was a guy I went to outside the organization," said McMahon. "He said a couple of things to me that made me understand exactly what Jeff Salazar and Tim Doherty were talking about. I would say I didn’t have a great understanding of it last year. I’m just learning it more.”  (T Harding - MLB.com - March 18, 2019)

April 18, 2019: Ryan didn’t believe in single-handed hitting drills. “I was like, ‘You’re never going to really swing like that.'” But while sitting out 10 games with a left elbow sprain, he was bored enough to hit off a tee using only his right arm.

McMahon homered twice in a 6-2 win over the Phillies; he went 3-for-4 with five RBI and put four balls in play, all with exit velocities greater than 100 mph, according to Statcast.  Now, McMahon has a new training technique.

“If you have a purpose and understand what you’re trying to do, it can be beneficial,” McMahon said. “Honestly, it was something I did when I was bored, and I felt something in that swing. ‘That feels really good.’ So I just kind of rolled with it.  It’s more of a direction of your swing sort of thing. It helped me realize how I should line up and what the quickest path was to the ball.”  (Harding - mlb.com)

2019 Season: McMahon, 25, showed development both offensively and defensively. In 141 games over his first full Major League season, McMahon slashed .250/.329/.450, knocked 24 home runs, and finished third on the team with 56 walks.

There were some inconsistencies. While his walk rate was high and his 47 percent hard-hit rate (minimum 95 mph exit velocity, according to Statcast) was 22nd in the Majors (among hitters with 200 or more batted ball events). But he also struck out 160 times in 539 plate appearances.

Feb 10, 2021:  With more being asked of the McMahon, his offseason is devoted to less.

That’s less movement of the hands and upper body, and less effort at the start of his swing. These subtractions are designed to produce more home runs and extra-base hits, and more consistent contact.

Count McMahon among Major League players who in 2020 struggled, pressed and ultimately didn’t have enough game action to improve their statistics. The hard contact was there for McMahon, with nine homers, six doubles and a triple. But so was the non-contact, with 66 strikeouts in 193 plate appearances (34.2 percent), a .215 batting average and a .295 on-base percentage.

The new season brings another reason to press. McMahon is the likely replacement at third base for eight-time Gold Glove winner and three-time National League home run leader Nolan Arenado. But McMahon enters ’21 with the lessons of ’20 fresh in his mind.

“I would say personally I didn't like how I was going, and for the team I didn't like how it was going,” McMahon said. “I’m going to forget all the noise. I’m going to forget everything like that. That’s usually something I’m really good at—when it’s game time, competing. I think I got a little carried away in my own head.”

Statcast readings from last season suggest McMahon has production potential to unlock. McMahon led the Rockies in average home run distance (419 feet), average exit velocity (90.1 mph) and rate of plate appearances with a barrel (6 percent)—with a minimum of 186 plate appearances required to be listed among league leaders. But the high strikeouts and low batting average show he didn’t deliver hard hits nearly enough.

A normal season would have given him game opportunities to improve his numbers, along with more off-field and batting cage time with coaches and teammates. But COVID-19 protocols kept time in the park at a minimum.

After such a lonely endeavor, McMahon is not going it alone in the offseason—even while practicing physical distancing.

“Obviously, it would be easier if everybody’s in the same room, but Zoom has made some things a little more possible, a little more feasible,” McMahon said.

McMahon has had frequent Zoom sessions with hitting coach Dave Magadan and assistant hitting coach Jeff Salazar. He has also enlisted Triple-A hitting coach Tim Doherty and a former Minor League teammate, Jordan Patterson, who can remember past swing adjustments. He's also had hitting sessions in Phoenix with Rockies catcher Dom Nuñez and Mets third baseman J.D. Davis, who are training together. The resulting adjustments are still in progress. Here’s a look:

–McMahon wants to be more efficient using his legs, although he says that part of his stance and setup “probably won’t look much different.”

–He has lowered his hands to a level he used while in the Minors.

–These adjustments could eliminate mechanics that practically had McMahon’s back to the pitcher and the bat knob pointed at the umpire at the start of the swing. Those movements slowed the barrel.

A Statcast look at McMahon’s swings and misses reveals an above-MLB average rate over the middle, in and out of the zone. Many of these misses occurred on fastballs early in counts, which became the popular strategy against him, since his complicated mechanics made his swing late. In turn, missing or fouling a hittable pitch early in the count leads to chasing late in the count. 

Maybe these adjustments will allow McMahon to repeat performances like Aug. 10 and 11 during the 2018 season, when homers off 92 and 95 mph pitches gave the postseason-bound Rockies victories over the Dodgers. McMahon’s issue is similar to one Rockies shortstop Trevor Story corrected to become one of the sport’s top stars.

“He does a drill where he holds the bat with his top [left] hand, does an early stride, and freezes,” Magadan said. “Then he puts his bottom hand on the bat to get that feel for his hands being lower to create a shorter route to the ball. When he does that, it looks special.

“It’s not like we’re asking him to start hitting right-handed, just get into a little better position in the setup. We’re trying to get him in position to make more consistent contact—420-foot homers are good. The 470-foot homers will get you on the highlights on TV, but I’d rather see him hit 35-40 homers that are 370 to 420-feet and hit .300.” (T Harding - MLB.com - Feb 10, 2021)

2025 Season: Yankees' projected position WAR: 2.3 (tied for 20th in MLB)

Player's projected WAR: 1.7 at 3B (1.7 overall)

Why the projections aren't higher: Despite his consistently valuable defense at the hot corner, McMahon has fallen short of 2.0 WAR in each of the past three years in part because he has been at least 10% below league average on offense. Since the start of 2023, his wRC+ has gone from 90 to 88 to 86. And while there has always been a lot of swing-and-miss in McMahon's game, his 32.3% strikeout rate and 35.2% whiff rate were the worst among qualified hitters last year.

Why they should be higher: FanGraphs states that the Yanks will get contributions at third from a few others, but McMahon should be able to top that 2.3 total WAR on his own, just as he did in 2021 (2.5 WAR) and '22 (3.1 WAR) with the Rockies. He can still do damage when he makes contact; his 50.5% hard-hit rate and 12% barrel rate in 2025 were career highs, and each was above the 75th percentile in MLB. A left-handed bat,

McMahon also boasted a career-high 17.0% pulled air ball rate, something that he should lean into more often during a full season at Yankee Stadium. The key will be getting his K rates back near the mid-20s as they were in those two aforementioned recent years. Even a small improvement in that one area will make these projections look light.  (Brian Murphy - Feb. 3, 2026 - yankees.com)

Ryan has a strong arm for the long throws across the infield from third base. And it is an accurate arm. He also plays first base where he displays soft hands and good footwork. 

McMahon should develop into a solid and perhaps above-average third baseman. He has agile feet, a plus arm and moves well to either side. But he always gets his feet set properly before he throws, but he has excellent lateral agility and a plus arm that gives him a chance to be an above-average third baseman. Rockies director of player development Zach Wilson and Modesto development supervisor Jerry Weinstein devised a comprehensive plan for McMahon during instructs.

“It wasn’t easy,” Wilson said. “It was intense. It was every single day. He got after it, and he certainly improved himself with the process.”

Weinstein and McMahon called their program “Project .950.” In 2011, Weinstein managed Nolan Arenado at Modesto and helped transform him into an elite defender. Weinstein said that .950 is a fair compromise between Arenado’s fielding average in the minors (.939) and Majors (.966).

Over a period of about 75 minutes daily, McMahon took 100 groundballs of all types and had to make the play at or above game speed and succeed 95 times. The drills were recorded on video and critiqued at the end of each day.

“It’s going to be plus range, because he is an instinctual player,” Rockies farm director Zack Wilson. “He’s got baseball intelligence and instincts that really help him on the defensive side of the ball. So there’s impact on both sides of the ball with him.

“He made the routine plays, the spectacular plays. But he also screwed them up. There’s always a mental component to anything you do in training, and the mental component for Mac was to be there on every pitch," Wilson continued.

“He didn’t become a better fielder or a better technician because he makes all the plays. What he did become is a better focuser. He became more consistent because he works very well when you have measurable goals and you put pressure on him . . . If he continues to grow the way that he has, he’s going to be a well above-average Major League defender.”

Ryan has made big strides defensively. McMahon still makes spectacular plays but is much better at keeping his feet underneath him on routine plays and staying balanced while using improved footwork to make consistently accurate throws.  His footwork is the reason for almost every error he makes.

A quarterback in high school, McMahon brings athleticism and leadership qualities to the infield. He has soft hands and a plus arm but needs to clean up his footwork to improve his throwing accuracy.

Rockies infield instructor Stu Cole called McMahon a natural at second base when he began playing there in spring training.

“That may be his best defensive position,” Hartford manager Jerry Weinstein said, “because he’s got a plus arm, and it helps you on cutoffs and relays and it helps you turning double plays. I think he likes playing second base, but he’s good at first and he’s good at third, too. I think for the future, he might be best at second.”

The 22-year-old McMahon played high school ball in Santa Ana, CA. He typically starts two games at first base, followed by one apiece at third and second as part of his defensive rotation. Weinstein said McMahon is “adequate right now” on turning double plays at second, where the footwork for the 6-foot-2 McMahon is understandably a little challenging and something he focuses on with early work. (Jack Etkin - Baseball America - 5/26/2017)

McMahon was drafted as a third baseman. But in 2018, he played mostly a first base during his debut season and he held his own. McMahon finished with three Defensive Runs Saved at second base, according to Fangraphs. Under Statcast’s new Outs Above Average, which tracks infielders in shifted positions, he ranked in the middle of the pack at his position at -2, with range strength toward first base (2 OAA) and back (1 OAA) as opposed to toward the middle (-5).

It helped having the middle covered by shortstop Trevor Story, who finished fifth among MLB infielders at any position at 15 OAA.