Over the course of Aaron Judge’s Yankees career, he has had a few players in the lineup to protect him. However, since Juan Soto left after one season for the crosstown rival New York Mets, the Yankees have been in search of a new player to step up though. This season, they have to look no further than first baseman Ben Rice.
Rice spent parts of the 2024 MLB season with the big-league club, but did not officially break out until last year, when he slashed .255/.337/.499 (AVG, OBP, SLG), and also hit 26 home runs with 65 RBIs. He also shined in advanced hitting metrics, ranking in the 90th percentile or better for eight of Baseball Savant’s 13 categories.
Rice leaves a little to be desired defensively at first base and catcher, but his bat is strong enough that a lot of it can be overlooked. In just 109 plate appearances this season, he ranks in the 100th percentile in hard-hit percentage and 99th percentile in xwOBA and barrel percentage.
No matter what statistics you look at, Ben Rice has been arguably the best hitter on not only a team that has Aaron Judge, but possibly in the entire league. Underlying statistics from last season indicated that he should take another step, but to come out of the gates as hot as he has so far is significant for the Yankees.
There’s still a lot of season left, but if Rice continues to hit the way he has, the Yankees could end up having a lethal offense to pair with one of the best pitching staffs in the league. They still need other players in the lineup, like Jazz Chisholm Jr., Cody Bellinger, and Austin Wells, to wake up the bats as well, but the good news is they have time.
Looking forward to the rest of the season, the Yankees should be aiming for nothing less than a World Series appearance. The team’s starting rotation has been off to a strong start, which has helped them take the lead in the AL East, but the lineup and bullpen have struggled.
If they can get these issues corrected in the upcoming months, they’ll be as big of a threat to win the World Series as any team.
