TAMPA, Fla. — For nine straight Grapefruit League games, the New York Yankees found ways to win. They piled up runs. They got strong pitching. They looked like a team putting the pieces together for a legitimate 2026 run.
Then Thursday happened.
The Minnesota Twins steamrolled the Yankees 15-0 at George M. Steinbrenner Field in a game mercifully shortened by rain in the seventh inning. The offense managed two hits. The pitching staff gave up runs in waves. And the two storylines the Yankees had been quietly cultivating all spring, Ryan McMahon’s shortstop experiment and Paul Blackburn’s reemergence as a useful arm, both hit a wall on the same afternoon.
McMahon’s shortstop struggles grow louder
The Yankees have spent weeks testing McMahon at shortstop. The logic made sense on paper. With Anthony Volpe out until at least May after offseason labrum surgery, the Yankees needed backup depth behind Opening Day starter Jose Caballero. McMahon has five Gold Glove nominations at third base and has been one of the best defenders at the hot corner over the last several years. The thinking was that his natural athleticism could translate across the diamond.
It has not gone according to plan. On Tuesday against Panama, McMahon committed an error on a fairly routine grounder during his first appearance at shortstop in a Yankees uniform. He has just three career innings at the position, all with the Colorado Rockies in 2020.
Thursday was worse. McMahon slid to his knee to field a ball in the hole and forced a wild throw to first base. A second run scored on the play to make it 4-0. Later in the game, he made another strong stab up the middle but again threw off-target.
You could hear Aaron Boone’s frustration from the dugout. The Yankees manager was caught on camera letting out a “damnit” after the errant throw. Just days earlier, Boone had expressed confidence in the experiment.
“I expect he’ll be fine there, as natural a fielder as he is, but we’ll see how it plays out a little bit,” Boone said before McMahon’s first start at short.
McMahon himself acknowledged the adjustment after his debut at the position.
“It feels, it looks so much different for me,” McMahon said. “There’s a lot more space. I think I gained a little bit more respect for what these shortstops have to deal with on a daily basis.”
The 31-year-old did manage a double on the offensive side Thursday. But two errors in two games at shortstop is a trend the Yankees cannot ignore. Spring training is the time for experiments. But this one is sending a clear message.
Blackburn stumbles after strong spring start
Paul Blackburn, re-signed to a one-year, $2 million deal in January, had thrown six scoreless innings across his first two spring starts. Boone praised his command and said his stuff looked “really crisp.”
Thursday was a step back. The right-hander allowed two runs on three hits and two walks over 2 1/3 innings. Luke Keaschall, who posted a 128 OPS+ in 49 games for Minnesota last season, hit a 395-foot solo homer off a sweeper. Blackburn departed at 56 pitches after walking Trevor Larnach. He did strike out three batters.
The outing does not erase the progress Blackburn showed earlier this spring. But it reinforces the reality of what the Yankees are getting with a $2 million pitcher. Blackburn posted a 5.28 ERA in eight appearances with the Yankees last season and allowed four runs in 1 1/3 innings of relief in Game 1 of the ALDS against the Blue Jays. Cashman’s bet is that the former 2022 All-Star can find some of that old form. Thursday’s start suggested the floor remains very much in play.
Bellinger returns, offense goes silent
The one bright spot was Cody Bellinger’s return to game action. The former MVP went 0-for-1 with a walk while playing right field in his first appearance in nearly a week after dealing with a mild back injury. He is scheduled to start again Friday. That matters more than any spring training line score.
The rest of the Yankees lineup was lifeless. The top four hitters, Trent Grisham, Jasson Dominguez, Bellinger and Giancarlo Stanton, went a combined 1-for-7. Twins starter Taj Bradley held the Yankees scoreless through four innings. The bullpen arms who followed, Kody Funderburk and Eric Orze, shut them down the rest of the way.
The Yankees’ bullpen candidates did themselves no favors either. Rule 5 pick Cade Winquest allowed inherited runners to score. Angel Chivilli, acquired from the Rockies, gave up five runs in the fifth inning, including a two-run homer by James Outman. Michael Arias allowed six more in the sixth before the rain finally arrived to end it.
It was one ugly afternoon. The Yankees will be back at it Friday night against the Rays, with Cam Schlittler making his first spring start after back inflammation delayed his Grapefruit League debut. First pitch is set for 6:35 p.m. ET on YES.
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