This Yankees slugger is hitting his way into the Opening Day lineup

At the start of spring training, one of the biggest questions for the New York Yankees was who was going to be the team's designated hitter. Giancarlo Stanton's injury, although disappointing for the Yankees, opened a position battle at DH. 

Now with Opening Day a week away on March 27, the Yankees seem to have their answer in the form of Ben Rice. 

Rice, entering his second season in the Bronx, had excellent moments in an otherwise slow 2024. What fans remember most is when the rookie hit three long balls in one game against the Red Sox in July. But besides that big game, Rice struggled with a .171 average and a .264 on-base percentage. 

Last season was one to learn from for Rice, not to forget. And learned he did, over the offseason, Rice decided to work on his body, adding 10 pounds of muscle to his frame.  

The extra muscle Rice added has resulted in not only a more consistent bat but also extra velocity on his batted balls. Via Statcast, Rice ranks second in the MLB with balls hit over 110 mph (four) and hard-hit percentage (76.2%).

One thing that's always welcome in the Bronx, is a hard-hitting lefty bat, especially after losing one of the game's best in Juan Soto. Rice won't replace Soto's production on his own, but he can be part of a group of players who together can replace Soto.

It's already been established that Rice has been hitting the ball hard, but these hard-hit balls are resulting in base hits. In 46 spring plate appearances, Rice has 13 hits and has walked six times as of Wednesday. What's impressive about his spring campaign is his .974 OPS. Last season, only Aaron Judge, Shohei Ohtani, Soto and Bobby Witt Jr. had a higher OPS. 

Rice has been hitting himself into a starting spot on the Yankee's Opening Day roster. He leads the team with five home runs, has driven in nine runs and has scored 11 runs this spring. He hasn't just been one of the Yankees' top spring players, he's been one of the best hitters, in general, this spring. 

Once Stanton returns, Rice's role might become less clear. His defensive versatility should keep him on the major league roster. He can catch and play first, two extremely important defensive positions. 

His playing time later in this season is contingent on his bat. If he's hitting like he is this spring, there's absolutely no reason to make a change. But it's going to be a while before Stanton returns, leaving Rice plenty of time to continue to show why he belongs in the starting lineup. 

But going into Opening Day, don't be surprised to see Rice's name batting in the heart of the Yankee order, starting at DH.