Inside this Yankees starter’s miserable slump to open 2026: ‘I’m getting there’

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Holding his batting helmet in his left hand, Ryan McMahon stood alone near where the infield ends and right field grass begins after running out a game-ending grounder to first base.

With a look of dejection, the Yankees’ slump-ridden third baseman started his walk of shame back to the third-base dugout. He moved slowly and looked around thinking about what went wrong this time.

A hit would have tied a game that the Yankees trailed since the first inning.

Instead, the Rays hung on for a 5-4 victory on Sunday for a weekend sweep of the Yankees, who have dropped five in a row to fall into a three-way tie for first place in the AL East at 8-7.

McMahon, who is batting .114 with four hits, two RBI and 15 strikeouts in 42 plate appearances, took this failure hard.

“It’s easier to go through your struggles when the team’s winning,” he said. “You feel it a little bit stronger when the team’s on a bad skid.”

Two Yankees runs were in on a homer by Aaron Judge and the tying run was on second base after a two-out double by Amed Rosario. The Rays then walked Austin Wells, who is hitting .154 with one homer and one RBI, to pitch to McMahon.

Facing Rays righty Mason Englehart, who has an ERA over 10, McMahon went to the plate with a plan.

“I’ve been a little late on the fastball, so I was trying to get ready for the fastball,” he said.

Englehart’s first offer was a pitcher’s pitch, a changeup on the outside corner at the knees. McMahon should have taken it, but he swung and hit a two-hopper right at first baseman Jonathan Aranda, who made the pick and jogged nine steps to the bag to end the game.

“He threw a changeup on a good line and I was a little bit out in front,” McMahon said.

That’ll do it.

The Yankees have a lineup full of underachieving hitters, everyone other than Ben Rice and Giancarlo Stanton, but McMahon has struggled the most.

Before the Yankees traded two minor-league pitchers for McMahon and his big contract last July 25, he always hit for a low average with around 20 homers playing for the Rockies. Late last year, the average and his power were down with the Yankees.

Offseason adjustments brought hope that he’ll be better this season, but McMahon batted .170 with no homers in 50 spring training plate appearances and he’s now managed four singles in 35 at-bats over 14 regular-season games.

McMahon barreled up a flyball to center and dropped in a hit to right on Sunday, but his third-inning strikeout and ninth-inning groundout weren’t good at-bats.

In his post-game interview, manager Aaron Boone was a little defensive when asked if he’s concerned about McMahon, who has been out of the starting lineup five times already with Amed Rosario starting at third.

“He scalded a ball to center,” Boone said. “He got a base hit. You guys (in the media) love to bring (McMahon) up, but we’ve got a number of guys that we’ve got to get going.”

That’s very true, but the Yankees do expect more than elite fielding for the $16 million that they’re paying McMahon this season … and next year, too, if he’s still on the club.

“I’m getting there,” McMahon said. “I’m working every day, so hopefully it turns and hopefully we all turn and get going a little bit.”

That’s his optimistic side talking.

Another side took no satisfaction in the positives of his day, the hard-hit flyout and single.

“Give me hits,” he said. “Give me something that helps the team. I don’t care how it looks. Just get the job done.”

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