Ben Rice Is Becoming A Superstar

Second Servings Of Rice

Ben Rice has officially – and finally – cashed in on his surname. Rice’s deal with Mars, the company that owns Ben’s Original, is a partnership will benefit No Kid Hungry. Starting with a contribution of 22,000 meals for kids facing food insecurity, the number reflects Rice’s No. 22 jersey. 22,000 more meals are planned for each time Rice makes a “big play” this season.

Endorsement deals and extraordinary contact metrics aside, Rice’s other numbers are gaudy, as well. Including today’s game against the Kansas City Royals, the Dartmouth Destroyer has generated a .349/.825/.481 slash line, and his 1.306 OPS is tops in the big leagues.

Back during the summer of 2020 at the onslaught of the COVID-19 pandemic, Rice organized and facilitated scrimmages for his fellow Ivy League baseball players to compensate for a lost season. He even won MVP in the Futures Collegiate Baseball League for the Worcester Bravehearts.

Big Brain Ben, Destroyer Of Baseballs

Ben Rice is a unicorn in America’s pastime. An infinitesimal amount of MLB players – less than five percent, according to Fox Sports – have a college degree. Rice graduated from Dartmouth in 2022, with a psychology degree. Possessing an abundance of knowledge in the field has helped Rice elevate his game and give himself a mental edge in a very humbling sport.

The networking of Dartmouth and Major League Baseball doesn’t stop with Rice, either. The Ivy League school had produced several Major League ballplayers, such as catcher Brad Ausmus, who is the Yankees’ bench coach. There are also pitcher Mike Remlinger and 1978 World Series champion Jim Beattie, who got the win in Game 5 of the Yankees’ triumph.

On pace for 10 fWAR in 2026, which would be the fifth-best season ever for any first baseman, Ben Rice has shown no signs of slowing down early on.

To put that into perspective: the best season by any first baseman, not surprisingly, was Lou Gehrig’s 1927 campaign. Gehrig amassed 12.4 fWAR, hit .373, and produced a 205 wRC+. Rice is on pace for identical numbers.

End Of My Ben Rice Rant

For all of their affluence and historical dominance, the Yankees have not been known for developing homegrown first baseman since Don Mattingly retired after the 1995 season. Since then, their most notable first sackers include Tino Martinez, Jason Giambi, Mark Teixeira, Luke Voit, Anthony Rizzo, and Rice himself. Rice is the only homegrown talent on that list.

There are plenty of other first baseman who have come and gone in The Bronx, to0. Doug Mientkiewicz, Tony Clark, Chris Carter; Greg Bird , Neil Walker, Paul Goldschmidt; D.J. LeMahieu, Lyle Overbay, and several others. Bird had his 15 minutes of fame in 2017 and part of 2015, but injuries derailed his career.

Should Ben Rice be durable, healthy, and continue to produce at his current astronomical rates, then he will be the next superstar first baseman for the Yankees, a position they have always exceeded at in free agency and, prior to 1995, historically. Let’s have some Rice.