The Yankees are always looking for the next great internal solution, and 26-year-old Ben Rice is at the forefront of their plans. While his spring training numbers haven’t been particularly impressive, the team isn’t just glancing at the box score. They’re diving into the advanced metrics, which tell a different story about his potential impact in 2025.
Surface-Level Struggles, Deeper Success
On paper, Rice has struggled this spring, hitting just .148/.233/.259 with one home run and two RBIs. A 33.3% strikeout rate hasn’t helped his case, but those numbers only paint part of the picture. Behind the scenes, the Yankees are seeing encouraging signs that suggest Rice is on the verge of a breakthrough.
He’s pulling the ball at a 52.9% clip while averaging an exit velocity of 98.1 mph. His hard-hit rate sits at an eye-popping 86.7%, meaning when he does connect, the ball is coming off his bat with authority. The issue? He’s been a bit unlucky, with well-struck balls finding gloves instead of gaps. If he keeps this up, those numbers should normalize, and the production will follow.
A Strong Foundation with More Power to Come
Rice has always been a dominant minor-league hitter, but this offseason, he took it a step further. He added significant muscle mass, hoping to convert some of his near-misses into home runs. Balls that previously died at the warning track now have a real shot at clearing the fence, something the Yankees are hoping to see translate once the season begins.
With Giancarlo Stanton’s future uncertain due to his ongoing elbow issues, the Yankees are searching for a solution at designated hitter. Rice is competing against several other candidates, including 29-year-old catcher J.C. Escarra, who has been stellar this spring, and non-roster invite Dominic Smith. The team already optioned Everson Pereira to Triple-A, narrowing the field of competition slightly, but Rice still has work to do.
A Long-Term Future at First Base?
While Rice is fighting for at-bats as a DH in the short term, his long-term path likely leads to first base. Paul Goldschmidt will hold down the position for 2025, giving Rice time to refine his approach and gradually take over in the coming years. If everything goes according to plan, the Yankees may have their first baseman of the future developing right in front of them.
Hitting coach James Rowson sees Rice’s development taking shape in real-time, impressed with how he’s approached camp.
“I love what I see [this spring],” Rowson said, via NJ.com’s Max Goodman. “What I see is experience taking flight. … We saw what he can do when he’s going well. You learn from the times that you’re not going really well. You take that into the offseason and you make some adjustments.
“That’s what we see I think coming into spring training. We see a guy who got a feel for the big leagues, saw the things that he did well, saw things maybe he can improve on a little bit. Give him a lot of credit. He worked his butt off in the offseason, brought that into camp, and he looks really good right now.”
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The Yankees don’t seem too concerned with Rice’s surface numbers, knowing that the foundation is solid. Now, it’s just a matter of turning those metrics into results.