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Mar 24, 2026; Mesa, Arizona, USA; New York Yankees third baseman Ryan McMahon against the Chicago Cubs during spring training at Sloan Park. Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Yankees' Offensive Struggles Officially Go Deeper Than Ryan McMahon

Originally posted on New York Yankees on SI
By Devon Platana | Last updated Apr 9, 2026 5:21 PM ET

It's no secret that Ryan McMahon's performance has been one of the New York Yankees' biggest concerns early in the 2026 MLB season. The 31-year-old third baseman entered Thursday's series finale against the Athletics with just two hits and as many RBIs in 33 plate appearances, made only worse by an abysmal .077/.273/.077 slash line.

Unfortunately, the status quo didn't change when New York needed him the most.

Batting out of the No. 9 spot, McMahon went a resounding 0-for-3 at the plate, striking out for the 14th time this season in Thursday's 1-0 loss. Even the occasional defensive gem (h/t TalkinYanks) hasn't been enough for Yankees fans to overlook the 2025 trade addition's poor performance.

Although McMahon has become a lightning rod for criticism, he's far from the only Yankees batter who's struggled to put the ball in the field. After all, New York has now gone 17 innings without scoring a run, illustrating how McMahon's sluggish stretch is an example of a bigger concern.

Yankees' Offensive Concerns Are Mounting After Loss to A's

The Yankees' offense (or lack thereof) has been a glaring issue throughout this week's series against the Athletics.

After scoring five runs in the series-opening win, New York was limited to two runs on five hits in the last two games. While it's too early to say that the sky is falling, things clearly aren't going as planned in the Big Apple.

McMahon (0-for-6) wasn't even the only Yankee who went hitless in this series, as both Randal Grichuck (0-for-3) and J.C. Escarra (0-for-3) did the same. Ben Rice struck out five times with only two hits in 10 at-bats, and Jazz Chisholm Jr. mustered one hit and a pair of walks while striking out three times.

It doesn't end there. Amed Rosario, Cody Bellinger, and Ben Rice were the only players to tally multiple hits against the A's, all while the likes of Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton combined for two hits, one RBI, three walks and five strikeouts in 19 total at-bats.

Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images

And it's not as if only individuals are underperforming, as the Yankees are coming up short in key offensive areas as a team.

Before Thursday's loss, New York was leaving the 13th-most players on base per game (15.45), according to Team Rankings. That number increases to a whopping 20.6 per game when the Yankees are at home, which is good for the worst average in all of Major League Baseball. That's without mentioning how they also rank poorly when it comes to runners left in scoring position per game (4.00, T-21st) and batting average with RISP (.227, 22nd).

Long story short, the Yankees struggle to get hits, and on the off chance that they do get on base, they have little to show for it. That's an acceptable problem if it happens once in a blue moon, but that shouldn't be a consistent issue for a club expected to compete for the American League East title, let alone the World Series.

That's especially true when each of the Yankees' four losses so far has been one-score games. True contenders know how to win those close contests, which is why manager Aaron Boone needs to find a way to get his guys back on track.

Not Much Time to Figure Things Out

Without a day off until Monday, April 20, the Yankees don't have time to rest on their laurels. They're about to play 10 games in as many days, and it all starts with this weekend's road series against the rival Tampa Bay Rays.

Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

The good news is that, like the Yankees, the Rays — who are third in the AL East as of Thursday afternoon — are dealing with their fair share of offensive troubles, too. Tampa Bay is averaging only 3.6 runs in its last eight outings, which includes being outscored 15-4 by the Chicago Cubs in its last two outings.

Even though nothing is guaranteed, it's encouraging to know that the Rays aren't exactly playing like offensive juggernauts, opening the door for the Yankees to get back on track. At the same time, New York will be facing two lefties (Steven Matz on Friday, Shane McClanahan on Sunday), which could be a daunting task for a club that's only dealt with southpaws in eight games (30th), for a total of 82 at-bats (25th).

With April flying by, the Yankees' offense needs to find some life before Boone & Co. fall too far behind the eight-ball this season.

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This article first appeared on New York Yankees on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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