Ryan McMahon

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Ryan Patrick McMahon

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Biographical Information[edit]

Infielder Ryan McMahon made his major league debut with the Colorado Rockies in 2017.

McMahon was a 2nd round pick by the Rockies in the 2013 amateur draft, out of a high school in California. He was a third baseman in his first three professional seasons, then began to play split his time with first base in 2016, and added second base to his list of positions in 2017. He began his pro career solidly, with a line of .321/.402/.583 with the Grand Junction Rockies of the Pioneer League in 2013. He slugged 18 doubles and 11 homers in 59 games and drove in 52 runs. In 2014, he hit .282 for the Asheville Tourists of the South Atlantic League again slugging above .500 thanks to 46 doubles and 18 homers; he also drove in 102 runs.

In 2015, he had his third straight solid year, this time with the Modesto Nuts of the California League. In 132 games, he hit .300/.372/.520, with 43 doubles, 6 triples and 18 homers. He drove in 75 runs. 2016 was spent with the Hartford Yard Goats of the Eastern League, a team that did not have a home ballpark because of stadium issues. Being on the road the whole year was tough, as he fell to .242/.325/.399, well below his numbers until then; he hit 27 doubles and 12 homers. He bounced back with Hartford at the start of 2017 though, as he hit .326 in 49 games to earn a promotion to the AAA Albuquerque Isotopes on June 1st. He continued to terrorize opposing pitchers there and earned a nomination to play for the United States team at the 2017 Futures Game on July 9th at Marlins Park. He replaced starting 1B Rhys Hoskins in mid-game and shined defensively in the final inning as the U.S. held on for a 7-6 win with A.J. Puk on the mound: first, he caught a foul ball off the bat of Vladimir Guerrero Jr. by reaching out far over a ramp protecting the first base dugout, then he made a great catch on an errant throw by 3B Brian Anderson to tag out Mauricio Dubon to end the game. He was called up to Colorado on August 11th, replacing Raimel Tapia on the roster. He made his debut as a pinch-hitter the next day, flying out against Brian Ellington of the Florida Marlins while batting for Chris Rusin in the 8th inning of a 4-3 loss. he went 3 for 19 (.158) in 17 games.

In 2018, Ryan played 55 games in AAA with Albuquerque, hitting .290 with 11 homers and 48 RBIs. With Colorado, he got into 91 games and made starts at first, second and third base. He hit .232 with 5 homers and 19 RBIs but was also one of the most active pinch-hitters on the team, with 42 appearances in the role. He was used in both the Wild Card Game and in the Division Series, going 0 for 1 in the former against the Chicago Cubs, and 0 for 2 in the latter against the Milwaukee Brewers. Back with the Rockies in 2019, he exceeded his career at-bats before the All-Star break, with 238, after accumulating an even 200 in his first two seasons. He saw a lot of action at second base following the departure of D.J. LeMahieu via free agency. He had the best game of his career thus far on July 14th, against the Cincinnati Reds, when he went 3 for 4 with a single, double and triple, scored twice and drove in 3 runs in a 10-9 win. He ended the year at .250 in 141 games with 24 doubles and 83 RBIs. However, his OPS+ was just 89 in spite of the superficially impressive numbers.

During the shortened 2020 season, he was back to being a super utility player, making at least 10 starts at three different positions in a season of 60 games. He played a total of 52 games, and hit .215 with 9 homers and 36 RBIs. His OBP was a paltry .295, leading to an OPS+ of 81 in spite of the decent power production. He started the 2021 season with a bang as in his sixth game, on April 6th, he became the first player in the majors to have a three-homer game that season and also tied a club record with 14 total bases in a 10-8 loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks. He batted a career-high .254 in 151 games, also a career best, with 32 doubles, 23 homers and 86 RBIs. He appeared at third base in 113 games, where he replaced loing-time fixture Nolan Arenado, and at second base in 52. Before the start of the 2022 season, on March 21st, the Rockies signed him to a six-year contract extension worth $70 million. This came only a few days after the Rox had signed free agent Kris Bryant to a long-term deal, but with McMahon's signing, Bryant was now slated to play left field with Mcmahon remaining the primary holder of the hot corner.

Notable Achievements[edit]

  • NL All-Star (2024)
  • 20-Home Run Seasons: 5 (2019 & 2021-2024)

Further Reading[edit]

  • Thomas Harding: "McMahon gives Rox intriguing first-base option: Colorado's No. 3 prospect broke out offensively in 2017", mlb.com, December 21, 2017. [1]
  • Thomas Harding: "McMahon thriving for Rox at second, third: 'Ry Mac' proving to be a worthy replacement following recent star departures", mlb.com, May 6, 2021. [2]
  • Jesse Sanchez: "Rox, McMahon agree on 6-year extension", mlb.com, March 21, 2022. [3]

Related Sites[edit]

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