How Yankees' Ben Rice has been best first baseman in MLB this season
Ben Rice is playing at an elite level so far this year.
How Yankees' Ben Rice has been best first baseman in MLB this season originally appeared on The Sporting News . Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here . The New York Yankees have been off to a strong start this season, and are sitting atop the American League at 19-10.
Aaron Judge is playing great once again, but the real headliner for the team this season has been the breakout of Ben Rice. He was good last year, but nothing compared to what he's done in 2026. ESPN's David Schoenfield named Rice as the best first baseman in baseball so far this season, and revealed how he beat out Munetaka Murakami, Nick Kurtz, Matt Olson, and Sal Stewart for this top spot in MLB.
How Ben Rice is MLB's best 1st baseman "In 2026, we have a group of first basemen off to great starts," Schoenfield writes. "... But Rice has been the best of the bunch, hitting .
322/. 447/. 744 with 10 homers and 23 RBIs.