Colorado Rockies: Ryan McMahon talks about making it to the big leagues

The Colorado Rockies started their three-game series in Miami with a bit of a surprise, calling up hot-hitting prospect Ryan McMahon for his first-ever Major League appearance.

McMahon has scorched the minor leagues this season, totaling a .354 average across Double-A and Triple-A. In 108 minor league games, he has logged 37 doubles, three triples, 19 home runs, 82 RBI, 37 walks, 82 strikeouts and 11 stolen bases. He’s also scored 71 runs. With those numbers, McMahon won Player of the Week honors once with Double-A Hartford and twice with Triple-A Albuquerque. He also grabbed Eastern League Player of the Month for April with Hartford and Pacific Coast League Player of the Month for June with Albuquerque.

This comes after McMahon batted just .242 in 133 games at Double-A in 2016. He brought a ranking of the ninth overall prospect into the 2017 season but has shined throughout this year at both levels.

“My understanding of what I am doing has taken a complete 180,” McMahon said on Friday afternoon. “It’s a big flip for sure and a big growth area. Slowing the game down and staying consistent with the things that I know I do well. Not, ‘Oh, I think I’m going to get a fastball here so let’s swing harder. Just staying with my consistent swing and then letting it play.”

Colorado Rockies

Despite the impressive 2017 numbers, McMahon said the news he was joining the Rockies in Miami came as a surprise.

“I wasn’t expecting it,” McMahon told Rox Pile. “I got called into the office last night. The game got cancelled and our manager in Triple-A told me I was coming up.”

Did he think a move was coming?

“I was trying to not think like that,” McMahon said. “I was seeing the team play well up here and wanting to be a part of it. I’m just glad it happened.”

The versatile 22-year-old has made 49 starts at first base, 32 starts at second base and 24 starts at third base this season. He said he will be comfortable in whatever role Colorado manager Bud Black chooses to use him. Talking in the Rockies clubhouse before Friday’s opener, McMahon said he was still unsure what his role would be.

“I probably know as much as you,” McMahon said. “I’m ready to accept whatever role, however they want to use me and need me. I’ll just do what I can to help.“I’m probably more experienced at first and third but I’m getting more and more comfortable at second base. I feel good.”

McMahon said he was hoping he would have a chance to impact the Rockies this season.

“While you’re playing, you definitely want to be here, especially with all of the cool things happening up here. We’re fighting for a playoff spot and stuff like that,” McMahon said. “That was definitely going through my head like, ‘Man, I want to go be a part of that.’ But I understand there are different moves and things like that. I just waited my turn and played ball while I was down there, focusing on that.”

He also returns to Miami where he participated in this year’s Futures Game, going 0-for-1 with a walk as a defensive replacement at first base. He also made one of the best defensive plays of the game. He said opening his Major League career in a ballpark where he’s already played was a benefit on a day when his life changed completely.

“At least with the field, that’s the only thing familiar to me so far,” McMahon smiled.

To make room on the roster for McMahon, the Rockies optioned Raimel Tapia to Triple-A. The 23-year-old outfielder has batted .287 with 22 runs, eight doubles, two triples, two home runs, 10 RBI and five stolen bases in 48 games spanning four stints on the Rockies active roster this season.

Next: Why one of our writers is a big Ryan McMahon fan

McMahon made clear he’s ready to do whatever he can to help the Rockies secure a spot in the postseason.

“This isn’t about me. This is about playoff baseball and about the Rockies,” McMahon said. “This is the kind of thing you dream about as a kid so I’m just hopping on board and whatever happens happens.”