July 29th, 2025: McMahon, Volpe, Schlittler, Goldschmidt

Happy thoughts: CC Sabathia was officially inducted into the Hall of Fame this past weekend. Here’s his speech. “Thank you most of all to the great players sitting behind me. I’m so proud and humbled to join you as a Hall of Famer. Even Ichiro, who stole my Rookie of the Year award in 2001,” he joked. Sabathia has a Yankees cap on his plaque, as expected. Now get to work on retiring No. 52, Yankees.

Also, Sunday was the anniversary of the Jazz Chisholm Jr. trade. Jazz has put up +5.3 fWAR since the trade, a top 20 mark among position players (tied with Juan Soto!). Here now is today’s post. This one is shorter than usual because it was a busy weekend (Ryan McMahon trade, Aaron Judge injury, deadline thoughts) and because I’m sure there is more coming later this week with the trade deadline looming.

1. Weekend thoughts. The Yankees scored four runs in the second inning against Zack Wheeler on Sunday (good!) and have scored two runs in 15 offensive innings since (bad!). Those two runs scored on bases loaded walks too. The “no Aaron Judge” offense is in full effect. After Monday’s loss, the Yankees are 11-19 (.367) against the AL East. Divisional play began in 1969 and the worst winning percentage the Yankees have ever had against the AL East is .414 in 1990. They must go 11-11 in their final 22 intradivision games to top that. The worst divisional record in franchise history is definitely in play this year. Here are a few thoughts on the last few days.

McMahon’s first impression

Because he was blocked at third base by Nolan Arenado in Colorado, Ryan McMahon first broke into the big leagues at second base, and he replaced DJ LeMahieu at second after LeMahieu signed with the Yankees. Now McMahon is essentially replacing LeMahieu at third base in the Bronx because LeMahieu aged out as a third baseman. Baseball is a flat circle.

“I remember my first camp. We took ground balls, and then I turned around, I was walking off the field and Nolan and DJ were still taking ground balls. I think I learned to work from those guys, the best to do it,” McMahon told Bill Ladson after the trade. “… This is every kid’s dream when you are 9 or 10 years old hitting in the backyard in Game 7 of the World Series at Yankee Stadium. It’s going to be pretty cool.”

Three games into his Yankees career, I’d say McMahon has made a strong first impression. He is 4-for-9 with two walks, including a two-run double to get the Yankees going against Wheeler on Sunday. He’s made several sparkling defensive plays too. Here are the highlights. That double was the first extra-base hit by a Yankees’ third baseman since A-Rod retired. (Since Jazz Chisholm Jr. on July 5th in reality.)

“I’m just excited to do something to help the team. Wins are important right now,” McMahon told Ladson after Sunday’s win. “I’m happy to do some solid stuff out there and I’m ready for the next one. It’s always good to come through with the stick.”

McMahon hit eighth for the Yankees on Saturday and seventh Sunday and Monday. He primarily hit third and fourth with the Rockies, and occasionally fifth or sixth against a lefty. McMahon was The Guy for the Rockies for a long time. With the Yankees, he’s a complementary player, which better suits his skills. He can blend into the background and not deal with the whole “face of the post-Arenado Rockies” thing.

The Coors Field hangover is a real thing. The idea that pitches move differently a mile up than they do at sea level, and Rockies players have to adjust back and forth all season when they go on road trips. Visiting players have to deal with this too, though they only parachute in for 2-4 games at a time every few weeks, if that. For Rockies players, it is their entire existence.

Just to illustrate this, here are the primary direction movement numbers on breaking balls at Coors Field vs. everywhere else. These are 2023-25 numbers to get a nice big sample:

• Curveball vertical drop: 49.3 inches at Coors vs. 53.8 inches everywhere else

• Slider horizontal break: 6.0 inches at Coors vs. 7.6 inches everywhere else

Curveballs curve less and sliders slide less at Coors Field. This doesn’t happen as often with the new schedule, but imagine facing Clayton Kershaw at Coors Field one week and at Dodger Stadium the next, and his Hall of Fame curveball moves differently at each place? That is the Coors Field hangover and it is a constant for Rockies players. Charlie Blackmon tried for years to solve it.

Escaping the Coors Field hangover and not having to be The Guy are reasons to believe McMahon can be better than the 92 wRC+ he’s mustered since 2021. I don’t think anyone’s expecting him to become a 125 wRC+ guy, but if it happens, great. If not, well, Yankees’ third basemen have a 92 wRC+ since 2021, so what are we losing out on here? Getting McMahon to even a 100 wRC+ would be a win.

For now, having an actual third baseman at third base has been a breath of fresh air. McMahon can play the position and play it well, and a classically trained third baseman is not something the Yankees have had in a while. Even the 92 wRC+ version of McMahon is an enormous step up from what the Yankees had at third the last two years. Good first impression, this weekend was. I’m looking forward to more.

Miscellany

The bullpen had its bi-weekly good game Sunday. Jonathan Loáisiga, Luke Weaver, Tim Hill, and Devin Williams retired 11 of 12 batters faced with a one-run lead. This is the bizarro April bullpen. Everyone was good except Williams in April. Now everyone stinks except Williams … Anthony Volpe in the first half: 9.8% pulled air rate. Volpe in the second half: 28.0% pulled air rate. Not coincidentally, he has four homers (all pulled) in 10 games since the All-Star break. He had four homers in his previous 55 games. I swear, every talking head on TV says Volpe should shoot singles to the opposite field, but he did that last year and he stunk. The pull-and-lift version of Volpe is the most productive version we’ve seen, and he has been that guy since the All-Star break … Cam Schlittler has thrown only a handful of good breaking balls in his last two starts. He’s surviving on fastball alone. We’ll see what the trade deadline brings, but Schlittler might be most useful to the Yankees as a fastball heavy reliever a la Chad Green down the stretch. Hopefully the slider comes around soon … Paul Goldschmidt is hitting .182/.250/.263 (52 wRC+) against righties since June 1st. These games are too important now. Ben Rice has a 128 wRC+ against righties. He’s gotta be the guy at first base against them. Pinch-hit for him against lefties and sub him out for defense late as necessary … Austin Wells had two walks and a sac fly Sunday. He is the first Yankee with a 0-for-0 game in the minimum three plate appearances since Jose Trevino last Aug. 20th. He walked three times. Wells also did it last July 19th (three walks and a sac bunt). That’s three 0-for-0 games by a Yankee in 13 months after zero from 2019-23, and two from 2014-23. Go figure. 

Injury updates

Luis Gil (lat) will make another rehab start Tuesday. He’s thrown exactly 3.1 innings in each of his three rehab starts while throwing 46, 54, and 68 pitches. Hopefully Gil can get up to 75-80 pitches tonight and push through five innings … Clarke Schmidt (elbow) said he had the internal brace procedure, not full Tommy John surgery. The internal brace comes with a slightly shorter rehab. There’s a chance Schmidt will be able to return in the second half next year rather than missing the entire season … Gerrit Cole (elbow) is 3-4 weeks away from beginning his throwing program. He’s right on schedule with his rehab … Fernando Cruz (oblique) will throw off a mound at some point this week. He might’ve done it yesterday. I dunno … Mark Leiter Jr. (knee) threw a bullpen Friday. His latest scans came back good and he’s ramping things up … Ryan Yarbrough (oblique) threw a touch-and-feel bullpen Friday. That’s what they call a light bullpen that gets the arm and body moving, but isn’t full effort … Spencer Jones missed Triple-A Scranton’s last three games with back spasms. Add in Monday’s off-day and that’s four days to let it calm down. Doesn’t sound like a big deal.

Roster moves

Some quick and somewhat notable roster moves. Scott Effross, who allowed a run(s) in four of his last five outings, was optioned out for Yerry De Los Santos on Saturday. De Los Santos missed five weeks with an elbow issue and allowed a run in 1.2 innings in his return to the mound Saturday. Hopefully he’ll stabilize the middle of the bullpen a bit … Allan Winans wore it Saturday (three innings and 59 pitches) and was sent down for Brent Headrick on Sunday. Headrick threw 15 fastballs Monday and got eight whiffs on 12 swings. Would’ve been nice if Aaron Boone brought him in to face the lefty Josh Lowe instead of trying to squeeze another out from Schlittler (Lowe had the go-ahead single), but that’s Boonie. Headrick’s presumably just keeping a spot warm until a reliever(s) is brought in at the trade deadline … And finally, Carlos Carrasco was traded to the Braves for cash or a player to be named Monday. Atlanta just needed a body. Their entire Opening Day rotation is on the 60-day injured list. Carrasco had a 3.27 ERA (3.89 FIP) in 52.1 innings with Scranton. He went seven innings in each of his last three starts. I’m not sure if he used an opt out or upward mobility clause to force the trade or what. The Triple-A rotation is currently Brendan Beck, Sean Boyle, Erick Leal, a rehabbing Gil, and Winans.

Up next

The final three games of this Rays series. Also the trade deadline. That is 6pm ET Thursday. Here’s what’s coming up between now and Friday’s post (in addition to trades):

• Tuesday: LHP Max Fried vs. RHP Joe Boyle (7pm ET on YES, TBS)

• Wednesday: RHP Will Warren vs. RHP Zack Littell (7pm ET on Amazon, MLBN)

• Thursday: RHP Marcus Stroman vs. RHP Ryan Pepiot (1pm ET on YES)

Littell is a former Yankees prospect (acquired for James Pazos and traded for Jaime García) and has been mentioned as a trade candidate. There’s a chance he gets moved in the next 36 hours or so and someone else makes Wednesday’s start for Tampa. What difference would it make? An AL East team could pull someone out of the bleachers to pitch and still beat the 2025 Yankees.

2. Rapid fire thoughts. Joel Sherman (subs. req’d) says the Yankees are looking to add two relievers and a starter “at minimum” before the trade deadline, and they’re still looking to add to their position player group. He says they’ve spoken to the Rays about shortstop-capable infielders José Caballero, Ha-Seong Kim, and Taylor Walls. Walls can’t hit but he leads all players (at any position) with +17 DRS. Caballero can play all over and leads the league in steals. Kim hasn’t played much following shoulder surgery and some other nagging injuries. The names and the targets are whatever. The important thing is the Yankees seem intent on adding much more before Thursday. To which I say: good … And finally, Giancarlo Stanton said he’s willing to play the outfield and do whatever else is needed when Aaron Judge has to DH, not that I expected him to say otherwise. “It’s not going to be like I’ve never been out there before,” he told Gary Phillips. We’ll talk about this more when Judge’s return is imminent, but the Yankees will do what they have to do. If they have to put Stanton in right field at Yankee Stadium for 5-6 innings, they'll do it. Also, Aaron Boone said they’re not considering putting Judge at first base. Unlike Stanton and the outfield, Judge has never played first base. That on-the-fly transition to an entirely new position, even an “easy” one like first base, is a lot to ask in-season.

(Send your requests for Friday's mailbag to RABmailbag at gmail dot com. The random Yankee series is on hiatus, but feel free to send in requests for when it returns.)