MLB Makes Ben Rice Announcement

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Ayomide Adeduyite | Last updated May 5, 2026 3:01 PM ET

Ben Rice has been one of the biggest reasons behind the New York Yankees’ fast start to the 2026 MLB season. The 27-year-old is hitting .343 with 12 home runs, 27 RBIs and a 1.214 OPS through early May, leading the league in both batting average and OPS. The Yankees have surged to a 24-11 record, sitting atop the American League East standings, with Rice forming a dangerous tandem in the middle of the lineup.

Rice has posted elite contact quality metrics, including a 59% hard-hit rate and a .504 weighted on-base average, both among the best in baseball. He has also proven effective against both right- and left-handed pitching, removing earlier platoon concerns and solidifying his role as an everyday first baseman.

New York Yankees first baseman Ben RiceKim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images

That performance earned him a league-wide honor. On Tuesday, the league named Rice to its first Team of the Month for April, selecting him at first base after a dominant opening stretch.

His April performance included multiple multi-hit games and key extra-base hits, including a three-run homer in a win over Baltimore.

The first Team of the Month for 2026 is here pic.twitter.com/JSPY0POVKx
— MLB (@MLB) May 5, 2026

From being a 12th-round draft pick to a central piece of the Yankees’ lineup, Rise has been on an upward trajectory since his major league debut in 2024. His résumé already includes a 26-home run season in 2025, and he is well on pace to earn his first All-Star nod this year.

While the individual honor is well deserved, Rice’s brilliant run hit a snag on Sunday when he exited against the Baltimore Orioles after taking a hit on a pickoff attempt, later diagnosed as a left hand contusion. X-rays came back negative, and he is considered day-to-day. He was ruled out of Monday’s opener against the Orioles, and manager Aaron Boone told reporters the club will not force his return (h/t Bryan Hoch of MLB.com)

As of writing, Rice’s status for the series against the Houston Astros remains up in the air.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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