Andres Chavez
The Bronx has always been a place for experiments, but they don’t usually involve a 31-year-old Gold Glove-caliber third baseman trying to learn the most demanding position on the field in three weeks. We saw the first real glimpse of the Ryan McMahon shortstop project on Tuesday against Panama. It was exactly what you’d expect from a guy who has played precisely three innings at the position in his entire professional life. One botched grounder, one slick double play, and a whole lot of questions about whether this bridge actually leads anywhere.
Aaron Boone is doubling down, though. He’s got McMahon back out there against the Twins today because, frankly, the Yankees could use him as a shortstop for a few games. With Anthony Volpe recovering from a shoulder surgery that turned out to be way more than a “simple cleanup”, the Opening Day depth chart looks like a jigsaw puzzle with missing pieces. Volpe is optimistic about an April return, but you can’t build a season on “maybe.” Jose Caballero is the main option, but he could use a reliable backup.
Adjusting the Internal Clock
McMahon is a wizard at the hot corner. Nobody disputes that. He’s spent years vacuuming up everything at third base, but shortstop is a different beast entirely. It has different angles and duties. The footwork is more frantic, athleticism is on display, and the margin for error is nonexistent.
“It feels, it looks so much different for me. There’s a lot more space. I think I gained a little bit more respect for what these shortstops have to deal with on a daily basis. But it was fun getting out there. I botched one, but I feel like if I see that one a couple more times that would be no problem,” he told Howie Kussoy of the New York Post on Tuesday.
The experiment continues because the Yankees need insurance. Caballero is the frontrunner to start the year, and he’s been scorching this spring with a 1.135 OPS and a home run that left the bat at over 103 mph. But if Caballero cools off or the injury bug bites again, the depth behind him is paper-thin. Having McMahon as a viable backup isn’t just a luxury; it’s a necessity for a team that can’t afford another defensive collapse like the one we saw late last season.
The Learning Curve in the Dirt
McMahon believes the transition is just a matter of repetition. He doesn’t look at himself as a static third baseman, but as a guy who can adapt to whatever the dirt throws at him. It’s a bold stance for a veteran, but the Yankees are banking on that confidence translating into competence.
“I feel pretty comfortable out there. I think of myself as a baseball player. I think if I just take some more reps I’ll be able to handle it. I think I’ll get better at it,” McMahon said.
That “baseball player” mentality is what the Yankees are betting on. If McMahon can just be “average” at short, it opens up a world of possibilities for the lineup. It allows Boone to rotate Oswaldo Cabrera or Amed Rosario through third base, giving the regulars a breather without sacrificing the defense entirely.
No Room for Errors
The reality is that “average” is a high bar at shortstop in the American League East. You can’t hide a converted infielder there when the Blue Jays and Orioles are putting the ball in play. McMahon’s first look was a mixed bag, but the Yankees are clearly willing to let him fail in March so he can hopefully succeed in May.
Whether this experiment works or blows up in their faces depends on how quickly McMahon can find his rhythm. He’s already working on a narrower stance at the plate to fix a bat that went cold last year. Adding a defensive overhaul on top of that is a massive ask. But in a clubhouse waiting for their starting shortstop to heal, McMahon is the only veteran willing to step into the fire.
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