Sep 20, 2025; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; New York Yankees catcher Ben Rice (22) runs to first during the ninth inning against the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images

Yankees Need Ben Rice to Be Top 10

Originally posted on New York Yankees on SI
By Jordon Lawrenz | Last updated Feb 21, 2026 10:00 AM ET

While the New York Yankees went out and signed Paul Goldschmidt, it's not like the 38-year old is this team's long-term answer.

Ben Rice is, or so they think. The 26-year old continues to get better and he's coming off a strong 2025 campaign.

That said, the competition is stiff. There are a ton of quality first baseman out there, and Rice continues to be outside the Top 10. In Buster Olney's latest article, he named Rice an honorable mention.

Rice has all the talent in the world, it's just a matter of putting it all together and staying consistent. When the 2026 season comes to an end, there's no reason to believe Rice can't be a Top 10 first baseman.

Ben Rice's Quest To Being a Top 10 First Baseman

Re-signing Goldy didn't put a ton of pressure on Rice. If anything, it helped prove to him that the Yankees are a firm believer in his skills. Goldschmdit is a great veteran presence to have, and obviously he's a righty which helps knowing Rice is a left handed hitter.

"Part of the reason Yankees general manager Brian Cashman talks about the improvement in his team's roster over the last year is Rice's development, which has the team believing he's going to be an impact hitter in the seasons ahead," Olney wrote.

Olney touched on his second-half slash line adn noted his home and road splits were relatively even. That's not necessarily a bad thing, but Rice needs to put together a complete season and not have to rely on a strong second-half to make up for a slow start.

Ben Rice's Advanced Stats Jump Off The Chart

Kevin Sousa-Imagn Images

According to Baseball Savant, Rice is in the top 89% for nine advanced stats. While that's impressive as is, it's even more impressive knowing he's in the Top 3% of the league with his xSLG (.557), xwOBA (.394), and HardHit% (56.1).

All three of those numbers saw a massive leap from 2024 to 2025. While that's to be expected knowing he saw roughly 1,300 more pitches, it's a great sign that Rice took an increased workload and was incredibly productive.

Keep in mind, Rice only started 46 games at first base last year. It may take awhile for him to get settled in, but he started an additional 48 games as the designated hitter last year which helped him improve offensively. His defense is perfectly acceptable, but it's going to be his offense that makes him a Top 10 first baseman by the end of 2026.

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This article first appeared on New York Yankees on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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