MCMAHON EMERGING AS A STAR FOR THE ROCKIES
Second baseman McMahon’s power, talent noticed by teammates, manager
DJLeMa…Who?
OK, OK, let’s not go overboard. Rockies fans will not soon forget the gritty DJ LeMahieu, the best second baseman in franchise history, who now plays a starring role for the Yankees. But ask around the Rockies clubhouse — and study the stats — and it becomes clear that Ryan McMahon is emerging as a star in his own right.
“He’s a special talent,” all-star shortstop Trevor Story said of McMahon. “He’s one of the most talented guys on the team, that’s for sure. The next step for ‘RyMac’ is consistency. He’s putting in the work, so that’s going to come. I’m sure of it.”
McMahon, 25, exudes self-confidence, but he’s bright enough to know that he has a ways to go before he measures up to LeMahieu, the three-time all-star who has won three Gold Gloves and was the 2016 National League batting champion, when he hit .348.
“DJ was great, and I understand why the fans were upset when he left,” McMahon said. “He’s a great player, but that was the franchise’s decision. I’m not trying to be DJ, but I’ve stepped in there and I’m just trying to be the best second baseman I can be.”
When LeMahieu, 31, didn’t get a contract offer from the Rockies after the 2018 season, he signed a twoyear, $24 million deal with the Yankees. It turned out to be the bargain of free agency. He thrived in the Big Apple, batting .327 with a career-high 26 home runs and finishing fourth for AL MVP. His quiet tenacity helped fuel New York to 103 wins and its first division title since 2012.
“He’s out there to rip your heart out,” New York manager Aaron Boone said.
McMahon doesn’t have LeMahieu’s track record, nor his reputation as the toughest guy on the diamond, but McMahon is improving at a rapid pace, and he’s gaining clubhouse moxie.
“He’s walking around with a sense of knowing that he belongs, that he’s a big-leaguer and going to be a productive big-leaguer, and I love that confidence,” manager Bud Black said.
McMahon played in 141 games last season after playing in only 91 in 2018. He hit 24 home runs and drove in 83 runs last season — both Rockies franchise records for a primary second baseman. The 24 home runs ranked fourth on the team behind Nolan Arenado, Story and Charlie Blackmon.
Other statistics reveal McMahon’s tantalizing power, as well as his inconsistencies.
McMahon’s walk rate (10.4%) was solid, but his strikeout rate (29.7%) was high. The 6-foot-2, 225-pound McMahon punishes baseballs, as illustrated by a 47.7 percent hard-hit rate (minimum 95 mph exit velocity, according to Statcast) that ranked 22nd in the majors. LeMahieu, by comparison, finished with a 47.2 percent hard-hit rate with the Yankees.
While many of his teammates were slumping in July, McMahon hit a robust .313, but his average dipped to .195 and his on-base percentage was only .271 over the final month of the season.
“I’ve shown I can do some things, but it’s all about being consistent for six months,” McMahon said. “I’m learning from Chuck (Charlie Blackmon), Nolan (Arenado) and Trevor about how they go about it. If they have a tough stretch, it’s usually for a very short stretch. That’s the kind of consistency I’m looking for.”
Defensively, McMahon, originally a third baseman, made strides at second. He finished with three defensive runs saved at second base, according to Fangraphs. Under Statcast’s new o uts above average, which tracks infielders in shifted positions, he ranked in the middle of the pack at his position at minus-2.
McMahon committed 13 errors at second base and finished with a .972 fielding percentage that ranked eighth in the National League, but he has the athleticism that allows him to cover a lot of ground, a la LeMahieu.
“I’ve been working a lot on reads and taking the right angles to balls, and I think that’s going to help,” McMahon said. “I need to have a little bit more awareness as to who’s running and what kind of it will take to get them out. It’s about knowing where I should be positioned.
“Those are the things that an elite player, like DJ, is great at. He was so good at reading the hitter and reading the ball. If I can improve on some of that it’s going to be huge.”