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The Yankees’ 5-4 comeback win last night was, in large part, thanks to Yankees third baseman Ryan McMahon hitting a game-tying three-run home run in the bottom of the 4th inning. McMahon, who was hitless in his previous 24 at-bats, snapped his hitless skid by providing a three-run home run to left field that traveled 383 feet with an exit velocity of 104.1 mph.

It’s an impressive home run for a left-handed hitter in Yankee Stadium, which McMahon is. When he connects with the barrel, he can, on occasion, hit it a very long way. McMahon has shared playing time at third base with infielder Amed Rosario, in large part because McMahon has struggled offensively this year, posting a .194 batting average with 4 home runs, 16 RBI’s, and a .580 OPS in 46 games.

McMahon and Rosario Have Split Time At Third Base

His third-base counterpart, however, Amed Rosario, while not regarded as nearly as good a defender as McMahon, has had better at-bats and production when starting over McMahon. Rosario has posted a .256 batting average with 4 home runs, 16 RBI’s, and a .773 OPS. Rosario has better contact skills than McMahon and hits lefties very well, which explains the shared playing time with McMahon.

The Yankees would like to see McMahon get going again, however. This cold spell follows several weeks of him finally starting to hit, during which he had clutch hits in the Milwaukee and Baltimore series at the beginning of May. They would like to see that version of McMahon again, and less of the version where he’s striking out at a 30.8% clip, which ranks in the bottom 9th percentile, according to Baseball Savant.

McMahon’s defense has shown some regression compared to 2025. However, he’s still an above-average and overall good defender, posting a positive 1 OAA, outs above average at third base this season, which puts him in the 69th percentile amongst third basemen in baseball, according to Baseball Savant. McMahon is owed 16 million dollars this year and next year, according to Spotrac. It’s also worth noting the Yankees will have a bit of a dilemma when Jose Caballero returns to the infield, which Yankees beat writer Bryan Hoch stated “Caballero hit and threw yesterday, said it went well, and expects to be activated on Friday from the IL”, stated Hoch after last night’s win. 

Volpe Playing Well And Caballero Closer To Returning

This creates a dilemma because, with Anthony Volpe playing well since being called up from the minor leagues just over a week ago, you’d think the Yankees would like to see Caballero and Volpe get reps, at least for the current time being. Although a very small sample size, Volpe, in six games, 17 at bats, has hit for a .294 batting average with 5 hits, 3 RBI’s, and two stolen bases. Volpe has prioritized using his speed and hitting for more contact, which has paid dividends in Yankees wins, but people are wondering whether he could finally sustain this production.

As for McMahon, playing time could be reduced further if the Yankees want to see Caballero and Volpe get regular reps for the time being, once Caballero is activated. With Volpe playing well, that certainly makes it a possibility. But the Yankees would also probably like to see McMahon hit more and get on another hot streak, because they’re paying him a substantial amount of money, and outside of the defense, you’d like to see more offensive production from the third base position.