Aaron Boone believes defense can become Yankees ‘strength' after Ryan McMahon trade
The Yankees still need more defensive consistency the rest of the way at shortstop from Anthony Volpe, who entered Friday's series opener against the Phillies tied for the MLB lead at the position with 13 errors.
Advertisement
'I expect, and it needs to be, one of our strengths,' Boone said before the game. 'Now bringing in a McMahon, and with Anthony, we need them to play, the way they're capable of playing and how we expect them to play.
The Yankees acquired Ryan McMahon in a trade with the Rockies on Friday.
Getty Images
'And if they do, that becomes a strength, and we need that to happen.'
Advertisement
The Yankees were coming off another rough series in the field earlier this week against the first-place Blue Jays in Toronto, including four errors in Wednesday's loss.
'Look, I think you go around the diamond with us, I think we have a number of really good defenders,' Boone said. 'Obviously, we're coming off a series where we did not play well. In that regard, our last game was not good at all, right? Probably cost us the game.
'But I also think it's important to be like, 'OK, that happened, what should happen moving forward?' And it's something that we work very hard on. We've got to continue to, and there's no reason to think we can't be a really good defensive club moving forward, which I think we have been for much of the year too, with some series mixed in here where we've made some mistakes.'
The Yankees' 52 errors entering the weekend were the ninth-most in MLB.
Advertisement
New York Yankees shortstop Anthony Volpe (11) throws to first base to force out Toronto Blue Jays' Leo Jimenez in the third inning of a baseball game in Toronto on Wednesday, July 23, 2025.
AP
Left fielder Jasson Domínguez also committed one of their four Wednesday night and also recently misjudged a liner against the Mets.
'I feel like he's come a long way,' Boone said of Domínguez. 'He's made a couple of mistakes out there, probably in the Toronto series and the Mets series. But the Mets play, that can happen to the best. When they hit a rocket, sometimes it freezes you in your tracks if you don't read it perfect.
'But I do feel like Jasson's come a long way from where he was, certainly, at the end of last year and where he was in spring training. I feel like he's done a lot of good things out there. He continues to work really hard at it. And I continue to maintain that day he becomes a finished product out there and has that true experience, he should end up being very good out there. There's still some bumps in the road that have happened along the way, but I feel like he has come around.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
36 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Jordan Westburg's solo homer (11)
Jordan Westburg launches a solo home run to left field to give the Orioles an early 1-0 lead in the bottom of the 1st
New York Post
44 minutes ago
- New York Post
BetMGM bonus code POSTBET for $1,500 in bonus bets for Yankees vs. Phillies on Saturday
Gambling content 21+. The New York Post may receive an affiliate commission if you sign up through our links. Read our editorial standards for more information. The Yankees and Phillies are both desperate for wins, which should make Saturday's battle between the two historic franchises quite a spectacle. While the Yankees have plenty of work to do to make up ground on the Toronto Blue Jays in the AL East, the Phillies are locked in a neck-and-neck tussle with the Mets for supremacy in the NL East. It's rare for an interleague matchup at this point of the season to carry stakes this high, so enjoy the show! BetMGM bonus code POSTBET for Yankees vs. Phillies on Saturday BetMGM bonus code POSTBET is allowing customers to get their first bet back in bonus bets if their first bet doesn't win, up to $1,500. BetMGM Sportsbook is legal in the following states: Arizona, Colorado, Washington D.C., Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Mississippi, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia and Wyoming. How to sign up at BetMGM Sportsbook Select your bonus offer. Choose your state. Fill out your login details. Enter the promo code POSTBET. Make a deposit. What our Post expert thinks about Yankees vs. Phillies on Saturday On paper, it's hard to argue against the Phillies having a decided pitching edge Saturday. Ranger Suarez has been terrific for Philadelphia this season, while Marcus Stroman has yet to find any consistency for the Yankees since moving to the Bronx in 2024. Stroman has put together two strong starts in a row coming into Saturday, but it's hard to be confident that he will be able to replicate that output. 21+. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER. AZ, CO, DC, IA, IL, IN, LA, KS, KY, MA, MD, MI, NC, NJ, OH, PA, TN, VA, WV, WY. Call 877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY). Call 1-800-327-5050 (MA). Please Gamble Responsibly. Call 1-800-NEXT-STEP (AZ), 1-800-522-4700 (KS, NV), 1-800-BETS-OFF (IA). Participant must complete the Wagering. Bonus Bets Expire in 7 Days. US Promotional Offers Not Available in MS, NY, ON, or PR. Visit for Terms & Conditions. Why Trust New York Post Betting Michael Leboff is a long-suffering Islanders fan, but a long-profiting sports bettor with 10 years of experience in the gambling industry. He loves using game theory to help punters win bracket pools, find long shots, and learn how to beat the market in mainstream and niche sports.
NBC News
an hour ago
- NBC News
As Ichiro Suzuki becomes 1st Asian MLB Hall of Famer, Asian players share how he paved the way for them
For baseball fans across the country, outfielder Ichiro Suzuki's induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame this weekend is the capstone to a storied career of broken records. But for players of Asian descent, it's also a profound moment of recognition and visibility. Suzuki, who spent the majority of his 19 years in Major League Baseball with the Seattle Mariners, will be the first Asian player to be added to the historic hall in Cooperstown, New York. Asian and Asian Americans across the league spoke to NBC News, reflecting on their favorite Suzuki moments and how his performance on the field helped usher in a generation of players who sought to follow in his footsteps. 'He was a player who looked like me: Left-handed, played the outfield,' said Cleveland Guardians outfielder Steven Kwan, who's of Japanese and Chinese descent. 'It kind of gave me hope at a really young age to see that someone who looks like me, plays like me, is able to succeed at the highest level and, not only that, gain the respect of everybody in the league too.' Suzuki joins starting pitcher CC Sabathia and relief pitcher Billy Wagner as part of the class of 2025 to be inducted on Sunday. Other inductees include the late right fielder Dave Parker and first baseman Dick Allen, who died in 2020. Suzuki, who missed a unanimous selection by a single vote, began his U.S. career in 2001 as the first Japanese position player to join MLB. While he wasn't the first ever player from Japan to join the big leagues — pitcher Masanori Murakami played a short stint with the San Francisco Giants in 1964, and Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Hideo Nomo had a 13-year career in the States — Suzuki was by far the most successful. In his almost two decades in the league, Suzuki made a name for himself as an elite contact hitter and a defensive genius who was also known to ham it up for those who played with him and serve impeccable style. His career includes 10 All-Star selections, 10 Gold Glove awards and three Silver Slugger awards. His time in MLB contributed to more Japanese players exploring careers in the U.S. Kwan, a two-time All-Star and three-time Gold Glove winner in his own right, said growing up, it was critical for him to see a player who never hid his Japanese heritage, always embraced his background and took the field as simply himself. Suzuki's baseball IQ also made a lasting impression on the Guardians outfielder. When Suzuki was on the Miami Marlins in 2015, he faked out Joaquin Arias of the San Francisco Giants, keeping Arias from scoring on a double to the right-field wall. 'He was near the end of his career. … And even in his older age, he still had the baseball IQ to make it look like he was going to catch the ball, field the ball off the wall cleanly,' Kwan said. 'I just remember that at the end of his career he was still making an impact. That was special to me.' Arizona Diamondbacks outfielder Corbin Carroll said that as an Asian American who grew up in Seattle and frequently attended Mariners games, he was similarly in awe of Suzuki. Carroll, who's of Taiwanese descent, said he still remembers sitting in the right-field bleachers with his family as his mother snapped a photo of Suzuki striking his signature pose. 'That's one of my earliest memories. The photo I kept in my room as I was growing up and still have to this day,' Carroll said. Carroll, who in 2023 became the first Asian American MLB Rookie of the Year, said that all those years watching the Japanese trailblazer 'made me feel like maybe one day I could do it and play at that level,' he said. 'When kids grow up seeing someone who they can relate to in some way, it can inspire them and give them hope to do something big,' Carroll, a two-time All-Star, said. Suzuki previously told NBC News that he didn't set out to 'perform for Asians' but was more than aware that his performance would impact the group in addition to his home country of Japan. And he had to excel. 'As a player from Japan, as a guy that had led the league in hitting all seven years, and then coming over being a first position player, I knew that I would be judged. And Japan baseball will be judged on how I did,' Suzuki said. 'If I wasn't able to produce, then they would judge Japan baseball as being at a lower level. And so that pressure was there and that's what I had to carry.' Bryan Woo, an All-Star pitcher for the Mariners, admitted that as a player of Chinese descent from Oakland, California, he may not have been the biggest Seattle fan growing up, but he was a fan of Suzuki's. Woo said he was particularly struck by Suzuki's performance in the 2007 All-Star Game in San Francisco, during which he hit an inside-the-park home run. Suzuki, who was crowned MVP of that game, went 3-for-3 that night. And his dinger remains the only inside-the-park home run ever hit during an All-Star game. Woo said that these days, Suzuki, who still works for the Mariners as a special assistant to the chairman, continues to dispense his wisdom, ensuring that progress doesn't stop with his own playing career. 'Guys that have his career and his caliber don't have to do stuff like that, but people that do that go out of their way. That means a lot.' Woo said. Ultimately, Kwan said, Suzuki's place in the Hall of Fame is symbolic of a new era.
