Ryan McMahon validates Yankees trade with immediate impact vs. Phillies

The reaction to the Ryan McMahon trade from New York Yankees fans was pretty split. On one hand, McMahon came to the Bronx with his share of concerns, and he's not nearly as good a hitter as Eugenio Suarez, the best option on the block. On the other hand, though, McMahon didn't cost much to acquire, came with additional control, and, perhaps most importantly, was an upgrade over what the team had. In just two games, we've seen what McMahon can provide on both sides of the ball.

Offensively, McMahon tied Sunday's game at two with a two-run double off NL Cy Young contender Zack Wheeler, and overall, went 2-for-3 on the day. He's now 3-for-6 in pinstripes.

What has always made McMahon stick out, though, is his glove at third base. He's already made a pair of sensational plays at the hot corner for the Yankees.

A two-game sample size might not mean much in the grand scheme of things, but it's hard not to get excited by what McMahon has shown thus far.

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Ryan McMahon looks like a massive upgrade in record time for the Yankees

It would've made sense to have seen McMahon get off to a bit of a sluggish start to his Yankees tenure, especially considering the transition from playing for what could end up being the worst team in modern MLB history to the pressure-packed Bronx Bombers. That's not been the case, though. He already looks like an absurd upgrade over what the Yankees had.

No disrespect to Oswald Peraza who provides solid speed and defense, but McMahon is an upgrade in just about every facet of the game. He pairs outstanding defense with a bat that, while somewhat underwhelming, carries far more upside than Peraza's.

I mean, playing at Coors Field half the time helps, but McMahon has 16 home runs in 91 games this season, and he's hit at least 20 in each of the previous five full seasons (excluding the shortened 2020 season). McMahon providing excellent defense while hitting the occasional home run would already be a massive upgrade over what they had.

McMahon isn't going to hit at a .500 clip as a Yankee, and he might not win a Gold Glove, but the Yankees didn't acquire him to be a superstar. They acquired him to be merely average, after they had brutal third base production for much of the season. He has the potential to be that, and possibly even better.

McMahon is showing he can be exactly as advertised, if not better, and that's huge.