Yankees‘ Ben Rice isn’t just hitting the ball well this spring—he’s absolutely crushing it. The 26-year-old slugger has recorded three of the hardest-hit balls of his career, with exit velocities of 113.3 mph, 113.2 mph, and 111.6 mph. That kind of power isn’t an accident; it’s the product of an offseason designed to add muscle and fine-tune his swing mechanics.
Rice was already viewed as an intriguing prospect with raw power, but his new approach has taken things to another level. Now, he’s looking more like an everyday slugger than just a bench piece or temporary injury replacement.
A New Approach is Paying Off
Last season, Rice got his first taste of big-league action when Anthony Rizzo went down with an injury. The results were mixed—he hit just .171/.264/.349 in 50 games but showed flashes of promise with seven home runs and 23 RBIs. The Yankees, however, weren’t discouraged by the surface-level stats.
Beneath the low batting average, Rice’s underlying numbers told a different story. His hard-hit rate was encouraging, and he showed the kind of swing decisions that suggested improvement was inevitable. The Yankees bet on his potential, and this spring, that bet is paying off.
Over 15 games and 53 plate appearances, Rice is hitting .283/.365/.609, launching five homers with nine RBIs. His plate discipline has also improved, posting an 11.3% walk rate, which pairs well with his still-aggressive 26.4% strikeout rate. His wRC+ sits at 146, meaning he’s been 46% better than the average hitter this spring.
Turning Fly Balls Into Home Runs
Rice has always had raw power, but last year, he struggled to consistently translate that into game results. Too many hard-hit balls died in the outfield, and his timing wasn’t quite where it needed to be.
That seems to have changed. His new swing and added muscle have helped him turn more fly balls into home runs, a crucial adjustment for someone looking to win the designated hitter role. With Giancarlo Stanton out indefinitely, the Yankees need someone to step up, and Rice looks ready to fill that void.
Earning Praise From Teammates
Rice’s performance hasn’t gone unnoticed in the Yankees’ clubhouse. Veteran outfielder Cody Bellinger, no stranger to elite power himself, had some high praise for the young slugger after another impressive showing.
“[Rice is] controlling every at-bat, it seems, and hitting the absolute s–t out of the ball,” Bellinger said via Greg Joyce of the New York Post. “That ball today was hit really hard.”
“It’s fun to watch,” Bellinger added. “Fun to watch him work, and it seems as if he has a really good idea of what he wants and what he wants to accomplish.”
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That kind of endorsement carries weight, especially from a former MVP like Bellinger. Rice still has work to do, particularly when it comes to handling high velocity and breaking balls out of the zone, but everything is trending in the right direction.
If his spring success carries over into the regular season, the Yankees might have found their next great left-handed power threat.