After a long Saturday filled with meet-and-greets, Q&A’s, autograph sessions, and more, Rockies third baseman Ryan McMahon entered the media dining room on the lower press level of Coors Field. He circled the corner to be greeted by a scrum of journalists, reporters, photographers, and news outlets. 

“You guys ready to do this?” he charred at the small crowd. Many laughed, and the room seemed to relax as the familiar face and swag that embodies Ryan McMahon stepped onto the make-shift stage. 

It’s easy to love Ryan McMahon if you are a Rockies fan. Or even a member of the media like myself. The dude oozes charisma while simultaneously being 100% committed to the Rockies organization and fans (bless him for that). 

To make matters even better, the home grown third baseman has accomplished a fair amount in his time in Colorado. A Gold Glove finalist four years in a row, a playoff appearance in 2018, and an All-Star game in 2024. Not too shabby!

But following a hefty dip offensively in 2024, McMahon entered the offseason with some lingering question marks. 

On Saturday, he addressed that with the media. 

“This game will humble you man,” he told reporters on Saturday.  

Wrapping up the month of May last season, RyMac was hitting a solid .321/.397/.495. Again, not too shabby. It ended up earning him his first All-Star appearance. 

Following the All-Star game though, his offensive stroke broke down. He ended up hitting .211 through the last few months of the season and expressed visible frustration with his inability to consistently find his swing.

To make matters worse, this story seems to be repeating itself. In 2023 similar headlines occupied the pages of Rockies news sites, reading like “Ryan McMahon seeking consistency in 2024”. 

So if the story remains the same, what ends up changing? 

For starters, Rockies General Manager Bill Schmidt says that part of the responsibilities fall on the coaching staff. 

“It starts with rest. We need to do a better job of giving Mac those days off and bringing in guys who can support him,” said Schmidt earlier this winter in Dallas. 

His actions back up his words. The two largest signings the Rockies have made this winter have been infielders. A surprise, given the fact that the infield is usually something Rockies fans don’t have to worry about. But the addition of second baseman Thairo Estrada and utility man Kyle Farmer give the Rockies depth to take RyMac off his feet every now and again. 

Even when a day off is provided though, McMahon says he still sees it as a work day. 

“It’s a hard game, it never quits. You can’t take a day off so you have to come and focus every single day”

“It’s easy to get caught up in these things right… but it’s on me. It’s a choice every single day to wake up and even if it doesn’t work, come back the next day with the same mentality.” 

Regular season aside, McMahon also added that he has some new projects he’s been attacking during the offseason to help address the areas of concern in his game. 

“I’ve got a lot of changes coming. A lot of things to help me get through the season. New gameplans, a couple new routines.”

“Every year I feel like I learn something new so I’m just trying to take what I’ve learned and apply it.”

Will this next year be the long awaited “return of the RyMac”? Will our gold glove nominee perhaps add a Silver Slugger line to his resume? Tall task, but one thing is for sure, the Rockies are going to need all the help RyMac can offer if they want to compete in the black hole that is the national league west. 

Ryan gave us one final quote to wrap up his thoughts heading into 2025:

“Bill Schmidt gave me one word. Finish”