Ryan McMahon made the quantum leap from local Rox star to major league All-Star.
On Sunday, the Rockies’ veteran third baseman was selected to the National League All-Star team for the first time. He made the team as a reserve via the players’ vote.
“It’s a cool honor,” McMahon said. “For me, getting voted in by the players, I think that’s the biggest honor.”
McMahon will be Colorado’s lone representative in the Midsummer Classic on July 16 at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas. The fans voted Philadelphia’s Alec Bohm as the NL’s starting third baseman.
McMahon, 29, entered Sunday’s game against Cincinnati slashing .272/.349/.456 with 14 home runs, 19 doubles and 45 RBIs. His 14 homers are two shy of tying the most he’s hit before the All-Star break. He hit 16 in 2021.
McMahon entered Sunday’s games leading all NL third basemen in on-base percentage (.349), and ranked second in average (.272), OPS (.802), hits (90) and total bases (151). He was tied for second in home runs and ranked third in RBIs.
McMahon, a three-time Gold Glove finalist, had five defensive runs saved, tied for second-most among major league third basemen.
This is a prove-it season for McMahon, who’s flashed promise since making his debut in 2017 but has been an inconsistent hitter.
“If you look, he’s an average player right now, and I’ve told him that,” general manager Bill Schmidt said during last December’s winter meetings. “He’s an above-average defender, which makes him the average player. He can be better. There are a lot of people who believe that.”
McMahon, who signed a six-year, $70 million contract in the spring of 2022, took Schmidt’s words as a challenge.
“It doesn’t hurt my feelings,” McMahon said just before the Rockies opened spring training. “Bill and I have a pretty open relationship about things like that. If you know Bill, he’s very blunt about things like that. But he doesn’t say that unless he wants (success) for you as well.
“He and I have had countless talks. I’ve heard it meaner than that. I’ve heard it nicer than that. I’ve heard it a lot of different ways from him.”
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Last season, McMahon finished fourth in the majors with 198 strikeouts, setting a dubious Rockies single-season record. His 31.6% strikeout rate was also the fourth-highest in the majors last season (among qualified hitters) and the third-highest in franchise history. He’s reduced his strikeout rate to 27.5% this season.
“I want to see him consistently put the ball in play,” Schmidt said. “Cut down on the strikeouts and put the ball in play. He’s capable of being a .260-.270 hitter, not .240. There was a point in May when he was one of the better players in the league. He’s capable of doing that.”
From May 12 through June 19 of last season, McMahon slashed .349/.434/.644 with eight home runs, 11 doubles, two triples and 25 RBIs in 35 games. But he slashed .206/.292/.357 in 80 games from June 20 through the end of the season and hit just .183 in September.
This story will be updated.
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