2 Yankees Players Branded “Biggest Culprit” After Aaron Judge Voices Concerns

The Yankees’ offense is at its worst. Averaging just .202 and scoring 15 runs from the last 5 games tells a lot about why they are currently in a 5-game losing streak. Right now, only Ben Rice, Giancarlo Stanton, and Amed Rosario are hitting over .300. Yankees broadcaster Michael Kay recently pointed out who should take the blame.

“The biggest culprit is the bottom third of the order… Ryan McMahon has one of the lowest batting averages in baseball over the last couple of years,” Kay shared via ESPN. “Austin Wells, who hit a home run over the weekend, his first home run and first RBI, did not have a good year offensively last year. He did hit over 20 home runs, but his offense is nowhere near productive in terms of his defense. His defense is extraordinarily good. So that’s two problems right there.”

Ryan McMahon is a major concern for the Yankees this year. He struggled offensively in spring training, batting just .170 across 17 games while experimenting with a new, narrower batting stance. Although he recorded hits in his final 4 games in the spring camp, his OPS still couldn’t cross the .200 mark. And just when we thought that spring stats don’t matter, McMahon has looked even worse in the regular season.

He is currently batting just .114 through his first 35 at-bats. That includes just two RBIs and no extra-base hits. While manager Aaron Boone defended McMahon as a “good big-league hitter,” numbers say otherwise. Moreover, he is a career 88 wRC+ hitter, and his best batting average for a season was only .246 back in 2022.

So, Kay wonders if it is right for the Yankees to expect huge numbers from McMahon.

After McMahon comes Austin Wells. He is currently hitting .154 with one HR and one RBI. However, contrary to McMahon, Wells is coming off a strong season last year, scoring 21 homers. But those flashes have not appeared in the early going this season.

Kay believes these two struggling hitters are directly hurting the Yankees’ ability to score. His criticism comes right after Captain Aaron Judge also spoke up about the team’s offensive issues.

As the Yankees lost their fifth consecutive game on Sunday, Aaron Judge blamed their lineup. “Guys are having some tough at-bats, but I think we just need to simplify some things at the plate,” he said. “It’s tough, but it’s our job. We’ve got to go out there and take care of business.”

Despite only 15 games being played till now, time is too short for the Yankees to get into the winning mode, and Judge knows that. However, while time will answer if Judge’s pep talk is effective, Kay’s warning about McMahon and Wells is a serious concern for the team.

The Yankees need to revisit their contract with Ryan McMahon

It would not be a surprise if the Yankees give up on McMahon soon. Apart from his struggle this season, last year was nothing different. McMahon joined the Yankees in July and played 61 games in 2025. The result? He slashed .192/.304/.302, which is similar to what he is doing this year. “Are we sure that he’s going to hit?” Kay rightly questioned the Yankees.

Now, the biggest question is whether the Yankees would try to trade McMahon or target a new name at the hot corner at the trade deadline.

“Yankees’ top prospect George Lombard Jr. is called up before the All-Star break and becomes the everyday third baseman for New York for the remainder of the season,” MLB insider Jim Bowden predicted.

Yes, Lombard is just 20 and the same as McMahon; he also had an unimpressive spring, scoring at .179. However, his .235 batting average last season with a .748 OPS could be a deal for the Yankees. Unfortunately, the Yankees owe McMahon $16 million for this season and another $16 million in 2027. If we remember how long the Yankees held on to DJ LeMahieu, it is hard to believe they will let go of McMahon so early.

Still, as the offense slumps and names like McMahon and Wells struggle, the demand for calling up prospects like Jasson Dominguez and Spencer Jones would rise even more.

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