Yankees 1B Ben Rice, Budding Superstar Or Merely An Elite Platoon Bat?
Rice is a legit offensive force already, and his advanced metrics are even more impressive. The final frontier? He needs to learn to hit same-handed pitching.
New York Yankees' Ben Rice hits a single during the seventh inning of a baseball game against the Athletics, Thursday, April 9, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger) Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
Before stumbling against the Athletics this weekend, the New York Yankees were off to a strong start. The vast majority of their high octane offense, however, is out of the gate pretty slowly- it has been left to young 1B Ben Rice to shoulder the load. The 27-year-old converted catcher was never considered a can’t miss prospect.
A 12th round draftee in 2021 out of Dartmouth - not exactly a baseball hotbed - he put himself on the prospect map during the 2023 season. Each year, I compile a list of top minor league position player prospects based on performance relative to league and level, adjusted for age. It’s a purely statistically based list, with no adjustments for park, position or any other contextual factor.
Rice did well on my list (#81 and #76 in 2023 and 2024), but didn’t jump off of the page. The fact that he was a catcher did make him stand out a bit, however. Rice’s first MLB opportunity in 2024 didn’t exactly go well.
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