DETROIT — Whereas the 2025 season continues to be in its early phases, Ben Rice has already made a compelling case to be a fixture within the Yankees’ lineup.
The 26-year-old is now hitting .306 with a 1.086 OPS, three residence runs and 4 RBI whereas beginning 10 of the Yankees’ 12 video games. Rice has been constantly crushing the ball over 100 mph since spring coaching; the most recent occasion got here on his pivotal two-run homer within the seventh inning of Wednesday’s 4-3 win over the Tigers.
“He just continues to hit the ball really hard,” Aaron Boone stated after Rice took fellow lefty Tyler Holton deep at 108.1 mph. “I don’t know what the exit velo was, but that ball was hammered.”
Rice has primarily stuffed the DH spot, which was vacated by Giancarlo Stanton’s tennis elbows. Stanton is much from his season debut, however Boone was nonetheless requested how the slugger’s eventual return – assuming that occurs – might influence Rice through the Yankees’ latest street journey.
The supervisor stated that he hasn’t thought that far forward but.
There’s no rush, as Stanton solely lately began hitting off a Trajekt machine and can want a rehab project after lacking all of spring coaching. But when Rice continues to rake and others keep wholesome, will probably be attention-grabbing to see how the Yankees deal with the teen’s enjoying time down the street.
A catcher by commerce, Rice has barely performed the place within the majors. That’s as a result of the Yankees have Austin Wells beginning behind the plate and J.C. Escarra serving as the first backup.
Rice hung out studying first base final yr and has already made a number of appearances there this season, however Paul Goldschmidt is the starter at first.
With that in thoughts, there’s been some mild hypothesis that Rice might — or maybe ought to — attempt studying a nook outfield spot, which might give the Yankees one other strategy to hold his bat within the lineup when the no-defense Stanton returns.
However Boone famous that Rice has by no means performed the outfield. The skipper stated “not really” when requested if the Yankees have a minimum of mentioned the concept.
Rice stated the Yankees haven’t talked to him about studying any new positions.
“Not up to this point, no,” Rice stated.
Requested if he’d be open to different spots, he replied, “I’d be open to being in the lineup.”
For now, there are many at-bats available for Rice, particularly if he continues to hit lefties.
Rice is barely hitting .222 vs. southpaws to date, however he has an .819 OPS and two dingers in opposition to them. Rice hit simply .135 with a .483 OPS in opposition to left-handers in 2024.
“I would just say approach-wise, it’s been feeling good,” Rice stated of his left-on-left matchups. “The more experience, the better. It’s just continuing to get reps against them. The more I see, the more I’ll improve.”
Whereas the pattern is small, Boone feels that Rice has had “really competitive at-bats, for the most part, against lefties.”
Usually talking, Boone has been happy with Rice’s skill to manage the zone and knack for “killing the ball” to this point this season. Rice’s high quality of contact metrics are nearly fully within the 92nd percentile or higher. His 72.7 Exhausting-Hit% is within the a centesimal percentile, whereas his 96.7-mph common exit velocity and 27.3 Barrel% are within the 98th percentile.
There’s little question that the 10-15 kilos Rice placed on between final June and spring coaching has made a distinction.
Aaron Decide stated he didn’t discover Rice’s weight acquire this spring, however he “could hear the difference in the sound coming off his bat.” The Yankees’ captain additionally seen that Rice “tightened up” his mechanics.
“He got a little taste of the big leagues, did his thing last year,” Decide stated. “However I feel coming into this yr, he was a person on a mission. He talked about numerous issues he wished to enhance on within the offseason, after which he got here in right here and did all of it.
“It’s cool to kind of see him put it all together so far this season.”
Boone added that have has helped Rice after he went by way of some ups and downs final season.
This yr, Boone and Yankees coaches have seen a extra snug and assured Rice on the plate. Then once more, he has good motive to be that method as he continues to earn on a regular basis enjoying time.
“If I’m hitting the ball like that,” Boone stated, “I’d probably feel pretty confident walking up there too.”
