This winter is the first chance for New York Yankees third baseman Ryan McMahon to work with the club's hitting coaches during an offseason.
The Yankees acquired the slick fielder from the Colorado Rockies in July, and he flashed the leather at third base during the second half of the regular season and postseason.
But aside from the occasional power surge, he struggles at the plate. Last year, McMahon led all qualified MLB hitters with a 32.3 percent strikeout rate.
"The biggest flaw in McMahon’s swing is an obvious one: No one swings and misses more," the New York Post's Mark W. Sanchez wrote Friday. "But McMahon is somewhat unique in his whiffing profile: He does not chase outside the strike zone often."
However, McMahon brings a patient approach to the batter's box and drew walks at an 11.9 percent clip.
Will an improved bat keep McMahon on the field?
Yankees manager Aaron Boone turned to Amed Rosario on the bench only when his team was facing a tough lefty starting pitcher.
Boone sacrificed McMahon's Gold Glove skills at third base for a better chance at producing runs.
"There’s some things he does in his swing that get him in trouble a little bit, but it would not surprise me at all to see him go to a different level offensively," Boone said about McMahon at this past week's winter meetings.
If McMahon can increase his contact rate and decrease his strikeout rate, he could be a really productive player who has hit 20 or more home runs in five consecutive years.
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