Noah Spirek | @NoahSpirek | July 7, 2024
On Sunday afternoon at Coors Field, the Rockies announced that Ryan McMahon has been selected to his first All-Star Game. He will be the Rockies’ lone representative in the Midsummer Classic, and the appearance is well deserved.
This year, McMahon has led by example for a young team in the early stages of construction. As of the morning of July 7, ‘Mac’ leads the Rockies in several statistical categories: homers, runs batted in, on-base percentage, slugging percentage, OPS, and walks. He also paces the team in games played.
Across all National League third basemen, McMahon ranks first in on-base percentage, and second in WAR, OPS, average and home runs. Make no mistake, Ryan McMahon’s resume is All-Star worthy.
“It’s a cool honor,” McMahon said of being voted an All-Star. “For me personally, getting voted in by the players; I think that’s the biggest honor that I can receive from other players. I’m extremely happy.”
This 2024 season is no outlier, either. Over his last four full seasons (excluding the 2020 60-game season), McMahon has slugged 20+ home runs in each of them, while maintaining a steady batting average near .250.
“Playing all these teams, you realize different teams like to do different things,” McMahon said. “So, just understanding what different staffs like to try to do to me, and playing them a bunch – I think this is my seventh year now – I’ve got seven different times facing a lot of these teams, so I have an idea of what they want to do to me.”
On the defensive side of the ball, it’s more of the same brilliance. Among all third basemen in Major League Baseball, McMahon ranks first in defensive runs saved and second in outs above average. These metrics indicate that Mac is on track to be a Gold Glove finalist, a distinction he has already earned in each of the past three seasons.
McMahon was not always a stellar defender. However, the circumstances of the Rockies infield during his ascent through the minor leagues forced him to be versatile.
“I made a lot of errors in Low-A and High-A,” McMahon said. “I got moved to first base in Double-A, and playing first and second base that year, I think really made me a better third baseman.”
McMahon made his MLB debut with the Colorado Rockies on August 12, 2017. At the time, he was joining a team anchored by Nolan Arenado, arguably the greatest defensive third baseman in history. Colorado also had DJ LeMahieu at second base, who has racked up four Gold Glove awards in his career.
While he has yet to bring home the Gold Glove award, McMahon attributes his defensive development to a great supporting cast in his early seasons in Colorado.
Ryan McMahon’s Leadership
Debuting in late 2017, McMahon is now the second longest-tenured position player on the current roster, behind Charlie Blackmon. He’s evolved from a rookie in back-to-back postseason years for Colorado, to now a leader in a clubhouse full of young Rockies looking to push Colorado back to the postseason.
“Honestly, man, I’ve just learned a lot,” McMahon said. “I think when you come to this league and you’ve never been here before, there’s just different things. Like how different things work.”
“Showing up for batting practice as a rookie, you’re the first guy in the cage. As you grow into it, you kind of get to have your own set time. There’s a lot of different unwritten rules, but it’s been a lot of fun.”
McMahon has what it takes to be an effective leader, according to his manager, Bud Black.
“Mac’s doing a good job,” Black said. “I think it starts with wanting to embrace the service time that he has… To have a guy that the younger players or anybody can lean on. I think he relishes that responsibility of being a Major Leaguer.”
“You can’t force it, you have to be yourself, you can’t be somebody you’re not. You have to be genuine… Mac is a guy that embraces that.”
Off the Field
Outside of baseball, McMahon is a husband to his wife, Natalie, and a father to their infant daughter, Austyn. On June 16, Ryan celebrated his first Father’s Day.
“I’m not too sentimental of a guy, but that first Father’s Day was cool,” McMahon said. “It was just a moment for me to take it all in, and having my daughter out there for the anthem was super cool.”
“It kind of gave me a burst of energy,” he added. “I was super tired that day, but after holding [Austyn] in line I kind of got this burst of energy. It’s been great. It’s challenging, no doubt, but it’s been a lot of fun.”
The McMahon family also has a dog, Radley, who is frequently seen on Ryan’s social medias.
Other than spending time on the field and with his family, McMahon has his fair share of hobbies.
On the Rockies video board, the media team often shows videos of teammates answering “Would you rather…” or “Most likely to…” questions. One of the videos asked about which teammate would be the best cook, and McMahon was the leading response.
“I love to cook,” McMahon said when asked about the passion. “I’m not great, but I like to do it. Just the process. It’s very relaxing.”
“I like to cook and I love to golf,” McMahon added. “Just hanging out with the guys, I’ll go watch football. I watch a lot of football.” Growing up in Yorba Linda, California, McMahon is a San Francisco 49ers fan.
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The Blake Street Banter team is very excited to watch McMahon represent the Rockies at the All-Star Game in Arlington, Texas. The game will take place Tuesday, July 16 at 6pm MT and will be shown on FOX.
Story by Noah Spirek.
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