This story was excerpted from Thomas Harding's Rockies Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

Whatever benefit comes from a positive self-image can take you but so far, Rockies third baseman Ryan McMahon knows. 

Colorado signed him to a six-year, $70 million contract this spring based on some positive production trends -- 24 home runs in 2019 and 23 last season. 

“I think I’m even better than that,” McMahon said. “But it doesn’t matter what you think. It’s all about what you’re doing.” 

McMahon is batting .238 with a .701 OPS -- numbers improved by a 4-for-8 performance with a double as the Rockies were swept in a doubleheader at San Diego on Monday. That’s a major step back from his final numbers of last season -- .254 with a .779 OPS. He enters Wednesday with just eight homers.

The oddity for McMahon is for a guy whose value is his power, he has shown a solid eye at the plate. His 11.5 percent walk rate through Tuesday is his best since his 17-game introduction in 2017, and since he has lowered a strikeout rate that spiked to 34.2 percent in 2020. He fanned 24.7 percent of the time last year and 25.9 percent through Tuesday.

What are the issues? 

His effectiveness against fastballs has dropped -- from .269 with a .450 slugging percentage last year to .260 and .400.

A fair question is whether McMahon, a naturally intense player, placed more pressure on himself because of injuries to veteran lineup leader Kris Bryant, who missed 52 games in the first half with a back injury and returned to the injured list on Monday with a bone bruise and plantar fasciitis in his left foot. McMahon doesn’t believe pressing is the problem. But he said Bryant’s presence was a tangible help to the lineup.

“It’s just a breath of fresh air when you have a guy like ‘K.B.’ in the lineup,” McMahon said. “Other pitchers are worried about him, the things he can do with the bat. That’s a huge piece to lose. But I don’t think anybody was pushing extra-hard. We just weren’t playing well.” 

The Trade Deadline passed without the Rockies dealing. Their poor record knocked them out of being buyers. Their modus operandi of identifying players to sign to multi-year contracts -- like McMahon, Bryant, outfielder Charlie Blackmon, first baseman C.J. Cron and catcher Elias Díaz -- means anyone who struggles has a shot at turning things around.

“My takeaway from it is this game is hard -- you can’t ever take it for granted,” he said. “All you can do is keep working and never look up. As soon as you look up, this game humbles you. 

“I haven’t had reasons to look up yet. It’s been a fight the whole season for me, personally. I feel like if I was a lot better, if I was doing things I’m capable of, the team could be in a different position. I’m not looking too far ahead, but definitely this offseason I’ll have plenty of motivation going forward.”