The New York Yankees and third base have been in a revolving door for years now. Once a position dominated by legends such as Alex Rodriguez and Graig Nettles has been nothing but lackluster for seasons. The organization has been struggling to find the right fit to man the hot corner. For instance, since 2023, the Yankees have trotted out 15 different players, hoping one sticks long-term.
The Yankees thought they had solved this long-standing issue when they acquired Ryan McMahon from the Colorado Rockies back at the 2025 trade deadline. Once known for his immaculate defense plus power, he has instead become a hole in the bottom half of their lineup. Another acquisition from that same trade deadline is the actual solution to the Yankees’ issue, in Amed Rosario. The utility infielder has risen to the occasion to be the Yankees’ answer to third base this season.
Amed Rosario is looking to be a very underrated pickup for the Yankees this offseason. His $2.5 million deal has been worth every penny this season. McMahon’s deal, on the other hand, has looked very grim for what he has produced.
McMahon isn’t just going through a slump; he’s in one of the worst stretches of his career. Since becoming a Yankee, McMahon is hitting .208/.289/.344 in 107 games, which is abysmal for a guy earning $16 million per year.
McMahon’s Struggles Open a Lane for Amed Rosario
The Yankees should be putting the best team on the field as of this moment, and Ryan McMahon isn’t a part of that. McMahon is hitting just .208 with six home runs this season in 162 plate appearances. The worst part currently is that he isn’t even hitting right-handed pitching. This season alone, he is hitting just above the Mendoza line with a .202 average against righties.
While McMahon is built as a three-true-outcome hitter, his defense is what has made him stand out in the big leagues. This year, his defense has regressed greatly. After posting 20 defensive runs saved over the last two seasons, it is now at -3. His outs above average sit at zero as well. He simply isn’t producing on both sides of the ball.
Fans thought Rosario had a chance to take McMahon’s spot earlier this year after his hot start and big game against the Athletics in April, where he single-handedly won them the game.
The Yankees ultimately view Rosario as a depth piece to counter left-handed pitching and as a utility infielder, but he has been so much more than that this season. This creates the question: Does Rosario deserve to be the Yankees’ third baseman this season?
The Rise of Rosario
The answer to that question is yes. Amed Rosario should man the hot corner from now on.
Rosario’s 2026 campaign has been nothing but a success so far. He poses a serious threat at the plate this year. In 31 games, he’s put up the highest OPS+ mark of his career at 132. He has developed a power stroke, matching himself with McMahon’s six home runs despite 65 fewer plate appearances. His hot bat is going to force the Yankees to make a tough decision sooner rather than later.
What has made Rosario emerge is his ability to hit both lefties and righties this year. Known for being a platoon bat against lefties, has now started to hit same-side pitching. From 2017 to 2025, his OPS against righties was .667. Now in 2026, he has a .835 OPS versus right-handed pitching.
Rosario isn’t a vacuum at third by any standards, like his counterpart McMahon. He currently ranks in the bottom three percent among outs above average with -5. While McMahon handles the glove a bit better, there is a clear winner when the two are side by side. Rosario has him beat in every major category.
Rosario Can Upgrade the Lineup
Giving Amed Rosario more at-bats can really only benefit the offense. He gives the bottom of the order a much-needed boost that it currently doesn’t possess. With a struggling Austin Wells, Jazz Chisholm, and Trent Grisham, his bat from the right side creates a nice mix for him to slide in and create pressure on pitchers.
The Yankees went into this season touting McMahon as a bat that would bounce back, but so far, nothing has come of it. The Yankees need to slow down the Ryan McMahon experiment, make him a defensive replacement, and start Rosario. A sense of urgency by putting the best team on the field is what is needed if the Yankees want to recapture the top of the AL East.
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