After Anthony Rizzo went to the IL on June 16, first base looked even more bleak for the Yankees. Enter catcher-turned-first baseman Ben Rice.
The Yankees May Have Found Their First Baseman
Making his Major League debut on June 18, the 25-year-old has provided much-needed stability in the Yanks’ shaky infield. Despite Rizzo’s struggles this season, another injury wasn’t what New York needed, and their list of infield options grew scarily thin.
Quick Rise
When Rice was called up on June 18, he had only been at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre for 11 games. In those games, he batted .333 with 3 homers and an OPS of 1.059. His skills had translated from Double-A to Triple-A, which is widely considered the biggest jump talent-wise in the minor leagues; why not give him a shot at an empty spot in the big leagues?
That first hit feeling
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— New York Yankees (@Yankees) June 19, 2024
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With moderately low expectations, Rice has proven to be a viable option at first. In 12 games thus far, the rookie has accumulated 9 hits in 33 ABs, with 6 walks and just 5 K’s.
While he hasn’t shown much power, he has shown great plate discipline and has gone deep into AB’s. This is especially impressive, considering how he has only 90 combined plate appearances across Triple-A and the Majors. If the lefty can find his power and take advantage of the short porch, he’ll really be making a case to keep his job.
Moving From Behind The Dish
Not only is the Dartmouth alum new to MLB, but he is also scarily new to playing first base. Not showing much promise as a defensive catcher, Rice began occasionally playing first in 2022 with Single-A Tampa.
Despite his newness to the position, he has played it fairly well so far for the Yankees. In 80 innings thus far, he has yet to make an error and has made multiple impressive plays. Sure, there have been a few blunders as well, but they’re all part of the ebbs and flows of learning a new position, especially in the big leagues.
Only Time Can Tell
As with any rookie, 12 games is not nearly a big enough sample size to determine a player’s value. Rice could be underperforming, but he could also be overperforming. Luckily for him, Rizzo still has a significant amount of time before he’ll return to the team.
However, the Yankees have also reportedly been interested in multiple first basemen across the league (Guerrero, Alonso, Goldschmidt). If Rice wants to lock in his spot on the roster, he’ll have to elevate his game a little more. He has shown a lot of potential but still has yet to find his power. If he can capitalize on the short porch and the deep gaps in left and right-center, he can become a legitimate threat in the Yankees’ lineup.
The Last Word
Rice definitely has a real shot at staying at first. He’s been consistent at giving good at-bats and has not been an easy out. But even if he doesn’t pan out, there are several routes the Yankees can take to address the position. Whether it be via trade, Anthony Rizzo, or Ben Rice, the Yankees have to fill that spot with a good bat if they want to be a legitimate contender in October.
Main Photo Credits: Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports
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