2B? 3B? Doesn't matter -- McMahon excels

The Rockies’ Ryan McMahon said before the season he prefers third base. Last week, he changed that to second base.

For those who compute the stats and those who love highlights, McMahon gives plenty of evidence either way.

McMahon’s glove provided many of the moments worth remembering during last week's 2-5 road trip against the Mets and the Pirates, at both second and third. McMahon is a daily starter and a key part of the lineup, which renders “utility” and “super utility” as inadequate descriptions.

According to the Statcast Outs Above Average leaderboard, McMahon’s six OAA through Sunday were tied for second in the National League and fourth in the Majors. The difference is the other five players can be identified with one position. The metrics say McMahon has done well, whatever you call him.

McMahon has played 254 1/3 innings at second base and 179 at third -- a significant amount of time at both. He also has done well at both using Fangraphs’ Defensive Runs Saved metric.

McMahon’s 5 DRS at second base through Sunday tied him for second in MLB, trailing only the Padres’ Jake Cronenworth, who has six in 387 innings at second. At third, McMahon was tied for fourth in DRS with four. But one of the players tied with him is teammate Josh Fuentes. Together, they've combined for eight DRS -- two more than that of the three players tied for the MLB.

During the shortened 2020 season, McMahon struggled most of the year offensively. But toward the end, with Nolan Arenado out with a right shoulder injury, McMahon perked up offensively and defensively at third base, and admitted he was more relaxed.

“I played a lot looser,” he said. “Our team, unfortunately, was not in the best position and there was not a lot of season left. We went out there and said, 'Let’s grind out these at-bats, let’s play some hard-nosed baseball and finish this season strong.'”

The Rockies wanted McMahon fresh at both positions, but the preferred plan was for him to play third while rookie Brendan Rodgers stepped in at second. Rodgers’ hamstring injury in early Spring Training forced McMahon to play a greater number of innings at second.

But wouldn’t you know?

“Honestly, I’d say second base now,” McMahon said of his preferred position in an interview on MLB Network last week. “I came up as a third baseman, but I’ve gotten a lot of reps at second. I love playing up the middle.

“Turning two, spinning it up the middle, that’s the most fun part of the game. I’ve got a guy playing shortstop who helps me out a lot, obviously.”

However, that day, the guy at short, two-time All-Star Trevor Story, sustained a right elbow injury, and is on the 10-day injured list until eligible to return next Monday. McMahon already had begun playing more third because of Rodgers’ return from injury. Now the Rockies are looking at Rodgers at short, so McMahon can play either second or third, depending on the rest of the lineup.

McMahon, in effect, is replacing two former multi-time Gold Glove Award winners -- second baseman DJ LeMahieu, who left after the 2018 season and has played multiple positions with the Yankees, and Arenado, traded to the Cardinals before this year’s Spring Training. As for McMahon, his mix of positions and effectiveness could work against him in pursuit of a Gold Glove.

Rawlings’ Gold Glove rules say this about positional eligibility: “Infielders and outfielders with at least 713 total innings played qualify at the specific position where he played the most innings (i.e. where his manager utilized him the most).” At least under OAA, McMahon has better stats at third but has played second more regularly.

If McMahon finished the season with a strong Gold Glove argument but isn’t at least a finalist because he falls outside the parameters of the rules, it won’t be the first time in Rockies history.

Carlos González won a Gold Glove in 2010, when the award just went to three outfielders. But in 2011, the criteria was changed to award one player at each of the three positions. Because of team needs, González played 61 games in left, 34 in right and 30 in center -- and, despite strong work at all three under the eye test, he wasn’t voted one of the nine finalists.

In an era of baseball when even some of the top teams start players at multiple positions, might the day come when a Gold Glove based on exceptional versatility is created?

“Never thought of that,” Rockies manager Bud Black said. “What a creative thought. We're seeing a lot of players, especially recently, doing what we’re doing with ‘Mac’ -- what the Cubs have done with Kris Bryant, what the Dodgers have done with Chris Taylor and Kiké Hernández [now with the Red Sox], and they’re moving guys like Max Muncy.

“We’ve got to keep an eye on this.”

While many Rockies fans understandably wanted to turn away from the last road trip, during which the team was shut out three times and set a record for fewest runs in a seven-game trip (10), McMahon pulled off at least three replay-able moments.

Two came at third base. On Tuesday, he ranged far left, barehanded a bouncer that usually requires a glove, and fired to first to beat the Mets’ Cameron Maybin. On Thursday, he kept a 1-0 loss to the Mets close by defensing a Lindor bunt attempt.

While playing second base in Sunday’s 4-3 victory over the Pirates, McMahon dove left to rob the Erik González to end the second inning.