Should Yankees Fans Buy Into Young Slugger’s Hot Start?

It’s been a solid start to the season for the New York Yankees, with some ups and downs along the way. 

Coming into the year, the Yankees knew that they would have to overcome some injuries to key players both in the lineup and the starting rotation. 

That has proven to be true, with three starting pitchers on the injured list, along with their star slugger Giancarlo Stanton. 

Even though it hasn’t been perfect, especially in the rotation, the team has been able to do a good job of weathering the early storm. 

One of the main reasons for their success so far has been the performance of the lineup. New York came out to start the campaign scorching hot, with nearly everyone hitting home runs and contributing. 

While that has cooled a bit in the last week, the offense of the Yankees still appears to be one of the best in the game. 

Fortunately, some of their young stars have really stepped up, providing New York with a needed boost. 

Bryan Hoch of MLB.com recently spoke about an early-season development that the Yankees can believe in being the performance of Ben Rice.

“Rice showed up in camp with more muscle, saying he’s added about 10 pounds since last summer. With Giancarlo Stanton’s return date still uncertain, Rice is contributing some needed thump.”

The 26-year-old has seized the opportunity to begin the campaign and is emerging as a young star in the lineup. 

This spring, Rice flashed his potential by slashing .242/.319 /.516 with five home runs and 10 RBI. With his performance coupled with the injury to Stanton, the young slugger was an easy choice to make the roster for Opening Day. 

Now that he has received the opportunity, it doesn’t appear like he is looking to give up his spot anytime soon. 

Through 11 games, Rice is slashing .306/.419/.667 with three home runs and four RBI. The 26-year-old worked hard to get into excellent shape this winter, and it is paying off. 

With a timetable for Stanton’s return still being a bit of an unknown, the emergence of Rice came at a great time. 

If and when the slugger returns to the Yankees, Rice is trending toward still being a fixture in the lineup. 

While he has primarily been the designated hitter, he can play first base in the field, creating some potential platoon options for both Paul Goldschmidt and Stanton. 

Overall, there is reason to believe that this hot start for Rice will continue based on how he performed this spring. Even though it might not have been expected, his hard work has thrust him into a prominent role in the lineup.