Yankees Duo Becoming Threat at Perfect Time

Later in the year, as catcher Austin Wells struggled, Ben Rice stepped into that role, transitioning from the team's rotating DH and first baseman to then squatting in the thick of summer in the Bronx, and handling an entire pitching staff.

Rice was again asked to do something before their second game of the White Sox – a pivotal one with AL East implications – and that was to catch Max Fried. The results were spectacular.

Fried, the ace of staff, pitched seven innings of one-run ball. He struck out seven and walked just two. The battery's lone hiccup came in the second. The Yankees had failed to score with the bases loaded and no outs, and, as is the nature of baseball, the White Sox scored thereafter.

The inning started with back-to-back singles by Miguel Vargas and Colson Montgomery. A fly ball put the White Sox on the board, and an error by Jazz Chisholm extended the inning. Fried then got Brooks Baldwin to fly out, and Michael A. Taylor struck out swinging.

It was a dicey moment in the game, and another test for Rice, who needed to help his pitcher through the inning. Of course, he aced it and in his next at-bat, he tripled.

Austin Wells later came in as a defensive substitution in the eighth inning. Once Fried's night was done, so was Rice's.

Aaron Boone was asked if this pairing would work together in October. The manager had not committed to that.

"If we do make a deep run in the postseason, who knows what comes up," Boone said, according to Zach Braziller of the New York Post. "Getting them together at once, I think, there is some benefit to that."

Fried was happy with the results. He gave a positive review of his new battery mate.

“It was great, great to finally work together,” Fried said. “He’s been working really hard. Especially the transition of playing a lot of first base and then catching sporadically and then getting more starts.”

Whether Rice is an option in the playoffs or even a long-term option at catcher remains to be seen. The defensive metrics don't support him as one. He has -2 Blocks Above Average, according to Baseball Savant. His -1 Framing Runs Above Average are also poor. Rice's 2.07 pop time is one of the worst in the league.

Still, in a pinch, he's a good option for the Yankees. Those numbers are much better than most DHs and first basemen, who are asked to catch on a dime. Knowing Rice, if he has to catch full-time, he'll figure out a way to make it work. He always does.

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