The New York Yankees are facing a significant infield problem as third baseman Ryan McMahon continues to underperform through the first third of the 2026 MLB season.
The team trails the first-place Tampa Bay Rays by 3 1/2 games in the American League East after a 4-3 victory over the Kansas City Royals on Monday.
McMahon, who is under a six-year, $70 million contract through 2027, has posted a . 187 batting average, a .
562 OPS, and 47 strikeouts across 50 appearances this year.
He was acquired from the Colorado Rockies before the 2025 trade deadline, leaving New York with $16 million obligations for both this season and next.
The Athletic's Brendan Kuty highlighted the severity of McMahon's slump, noting his low production and high strikeout rates along with defensive shortcomings.
"[Ryan] McMahon’s 60 wRC+ is the worst among Yankees regulars, and he’s graded out poorly on defense (minus-3 Defensive Runs Saved)," wrote Kuty.
"He’s been almost unplayable."
Yankees manager Aaron Boone previously defended the former All-Star during the opening weeks of the regular season, expressing confidence in a potential turnaround against right-handed pitchers.
"Mac’s a good major league hitter," Boone told reporters on April 8, per SNY. "It’s 10 games in, okay?
He’s (struggling) right now, but the reality is, the last three games, he’s been on base four times too, with walks and hits and big at-bats."
Boone elaborated on his expectations for the veteran player amid the team's slow offensive start.
"We want him to improve even who he’s been obviously in his career, and he’s off to a slow start right now, but a number of our guys are, as well.
He’ll get it rolling and trust that he will, especially against some of these good right-handed matchups."
Despite that backing, analytical assessments indicate that the club cannot comfortably project McMahon as a primary postseason contributor.
This has prompted speculation about potential upgrades before the August 3 trade deadline.
Bleacher Report's Tim Kelly analyzed how prospective acquisitions like Ketel Marte or CJ Abrams would alter the current infield configuration, which features Jose Caballero and Anthony Volpe.
"Let’s say the Yankees were to acquire (Ketel) Marte to play second base," Kelly wrote in a May 26 story.
"Chisholm— who is in his contract year— has shown the ability to play third base in the past."
Kelly detailed alternative scenarios for shifting the roster to optimize infield defense and minimize reliance on McMahon's bat.
"It might be hard for CJ Abrams and Anthony Volpe to co-exist, but if the Yankees acquired the former to play shortstop, Caballero would slide into more of a super-utility role, with the bulk of his time likely coming at third base," Kelly added.
The analyst underscored the necessity of addressing the position before the postseason commences.
"One way or another, the Yankees can’t enter the postseason with Ryan McMahon— who is hitting . 187 with a .
559 OPS—getting regular at-bats at third base."
General manager Brian Cashman remains focused on a championship objective, attributing the franchise's organizational stability directly to ownership.
"It’s the Steinbrenner ownership, nothing about me," Cashman told The New York Post’s Jon Heyman on May 2.
"It’s all about we, nothing about me. We’ve had a consistency of personnel.
They have patience."
