Yankees Catcher Puzzle Pits Ben Rice’s Breakout Against Austin Wells’ Future

The Yankees may have found their first baseman of the future in Ben Rice. The problem is that they need him catching right now.

Aaron Boone is trying to balance Rice’s emergence with Austin Wells’ development, and it’s become one of the trickier lineup puzzles of the stretch run.

Rice has muscled into the picture with his bat and improving glove. Boone praised the rookie’s progress on WFAN Tuesday morning.
“He is developing a little bit of a presence back there… his game-calling… has been really good and really encouraging to see.”

Rice is hitting .239 with 18 home runs and an .803 OPS, and his Statcast profile jumps off the page — 93.5 mph average exit velocity and a hard-hit rate near the top of the league. The long-term plan is for him to play first base. But with Stanton and Judge locked into DH, Goldschmidt holding down first, and the lineup too left-handed without Stanton and Goldschmidt, Boone doesn’t have the luxury of moving Rice yet.

That leaves Wells in a battle for at-bats. Boone isn’t writing him off:
“He is going through it offensively… but I have such a high thought of what I think he can and will be.”
“He’s got presence to him… very confident.”

Wells still has 15 homers and nearly 60 RBIs, but he’s struggled to square up pitches and has cooled off over the last few weeks. Boone called it a “snapshot in time,” a reminder the picture can flip quickly.

The Yankees like both players, but September will be about who seizes the job. Rice looks like the future. Wells still has the pedigree. Boone has to manage the now.