If there was any silver lining within the Yankees’ extremely criticized 2025 season, it’s that they developed a middle-of-the-order bat for years to come back.
Ben Rice went from statcast darling to a authentic pressure for the Bombers. The 26-year-old slashed .255/.337/.499 with 26 homers and 65 in 138 video games final season.
The slugger took a step from his rookie marketing campaign, the place he registered spectacular batted ball metrics — 15.6 barrel % in 2024 — that generated some promise amongst the analytics group for a predicted breakout season that got here to fruition and so they’ll want one other bounce made in 2026.
Rice is now one of many hardest hitters in baseball as he ranked within the ninety fifth percentile in common exit velocity and 97th in Arduous-Hit%, resulting in a really enticing Baseball Savant web page. Nevertheless, there nonetheless seems to be some room for development for the teen. Rice’s metrics — and even the attention take a look at when you watched him all season hit bullets proper at individuals — point out a excessive diploma of poor luck.
The left-handed hitter’s anticipated batting common was .290 with an anticipated slugging of .550 — a big improve from his precise numbers.
The Bombers shall be entrusting Statcast and different metrics to inform the story as soon as once more in 2026 for Rice, as they’ll want the slugger to take one other step ahead as he’ll be taking up a bigger function.
For an excellent portion of final season, Rice was platooned with Paul Goldschmidt at first base — because the veteran was notorius for smashing left-handers — nonetheless, this season, it seems he’ll get extra taking part in time in opposition to southpaws as supervisor Aaron Boone mentioned on the Winter Conferences he would play “a lot” in opposition to lefties in 2026.
“We’re really proud of what Rice is and what he brings to the table,” Brian Cashman mentioned on the Winter Conferences. “As far as I’m concerned he’s managing first base for us…but we are too left-handed, we need to find a way to balance that out.”
This was not the primary time the Yankees GM had given public reward of Rice. In November, Cashman mentioned, “I view Ben Rice as having an on a regular basis function within the large leagues for us subsequent 12 months, whether or not it’s at first… proper now the lane is first base, I’ve little doubt groups will proceed to come back after our gamers, Rice included, for commerce conversations. However as of proper now, yeah, he’s in our lineup, and the extra seemingly spot could be first base.
“But he can catch, as well. I have [Austin] Wells is our catcher, and him at first, but, again, you never know how the winds of change blow here every winter. And they’ll be challenge trades made to us or by us, and most will lead nowhere, with one team insulting the other, vice versa. More likely than not, I see him at first base, without a doubt.”
It stays to be seen if Rice will proceed his occasional catching function as he made 26 begins behind the dish as Boone acquired a bit artistic along with his catching historical past so as to get him into the lineup day-after-day. Nevertheless, the Bombers might want to maximize Rice’s offensive prowess, and that may include taking part in first base.
The teen nonetheless has some defensive strides to take over at first — -3 defensive runs saves and -2 fielding run worth in 2025 — nonetheless, that may certainly be a magnet for Rice as he makes an attempt to lock down the place for years to come back at Yankee Stadium.
