These days, teams love to dig into advanced metrics and internal data to explain away surface-level struggles. A low batting average can be chalked up to bad luck if the underlying numbers—like exit velocity and quality of contact—suggest a player is doing everything right.
That’s exactly the case with Ben Rice, who impressed the Yankees in spring training with eye-popping exit velocity numbers. It earned him the everyday designated hitter role while Giancarlo Stanton recovers from elbow injuries.
In a season that’s already been marked by how the Yankees navigate Gerrit Cole’s absence and whether their younger players can step up, Rice has been one of the early bright spots—especially during a chilly start to the schedule, with 10 games played in 50-degree weather or colder.
Rice is also part of the Yankees’ unconventional leadoff strategy. While speedsters like Jazz Chisholm Jr. and Anthony Volpe are hitting further down in the order behind sluggers Aaron Judge and Cody Bellinger, Rice has already led off five times. He’s homered twice and reached base every time, joining Austin Wells and Paul Goldschmidt as early-season leadoff threats—all three hitting well over .300 and each with a leadoff homer to their name.
On Saturday, Rice added another homer after a gritty two-strike single helped fuel a much-needed five-run inning against a red-hot Giants team. It was the kind of offensive burst that reminded fans of the Yankees’ early power surge—22 homers in their first six home games—after a week of quiet bats and cold temps.
Rice first popped up on the Yankees’ radar last season when he transitioned from catcher to first base. After Anthony Rizzo broke his forearm in June, Rice got the call. He had moments—like a three-homer game at Fenway—but finished with a modest .171 average and six homers in 35 games. Not exactly standout numbers, but it’s worth remembering Aaron Judge hit just .179 in his first month in the bigs back in 2016.
Exit velocity wasn’t a talking point back then, but now it’s central to player evaluations. Rice posted a solid 90.0 mph average last season; now he’s up to 97.5 mph—second only to Pete Alonso in the majors, who’s tearing it up behind Juan Soto in the Mets lineup.
“I’m just trusting myself and my instincts,” Rice said after another strong performance. He claims he’s not tracking the numbers too closely, but the Yankees are. Manager Aaron Boone pointed out how Rice’s quality of contact last year often went unrewarded, and now it’s translating into results.
“He’s a better hitter now—more mature, more confident,” Boone said. “His at-bats have been really good.”
Cody Bellinger echoed the sentiment: “It’s the same guy we saw in spring. He’s locked in, has a plan, and hits the ball hard. It’s impressive.”
If Rice keeps this up, he could do more than hold down the leadoff spot—he might help the Yankees weather Stanton’s absence without needing to make a move.
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