The double-headed monster at DH for the Yankees

The Yankees (45-32) are slowly getting back to full health. RHP Luis Gil started his throwing program, while infielder DJ LeMahieu and DH Giancarlo Stanton have already made their returns to the field. 

Although initially stressful, the return of Stanton may prove to be one of the most important of the season. Before his return, the question that lingered was: What will the Yankees do with Ben Rice?

Coming out of spring training, Rice claimed the DH job due to Stanton's injury. Since the start of the season, Rice has been hitting the ball just as hard as some of the league's best. 

After missing the first 71 games of the season due to tendonitis in both elbows, Stanton made his return last Tuesday against the Angels. In six games, the big right-hander is hitting .316 with six hits and a RBI. 

The stats that reassure Rice as a great hitter are his expected stats. Rice's expected batting average (.297) is 56 points higher than his actual average (.241). The trend is the same for his expected slugging (82 points higher) and expected on-base percentage (54 points higher). 

What's been happening to Rice this year can be put simply as bad luck. He has been crushing the ball, but unfortunately, has been hitting into outs. Rice ranks 17th in the MLB in average exit velocity (93.3 MPH), tied for 28th in total barrels (27), 15th in barrel percentage (15.9%) and 11th in hard hit percentage (54.7%). 

Stanton has been one of the premier power hitters for 16 seasons. Since Statcast's inception in 2015, Stanton has ranked in the top 1% in max exit velocity every year (average 122.2 MPH max exit velocity). 

What's promising for Stanton is how he played during last season's playoff run. In 55 at-bats, Stanton had 15 hits, 10 going for extra bases, including seven home runs. He drove in 16 runs while taking home ALCS MVP. 

In 21 plate appearances this season, Stanton is hitting the ball harder than he ever has (96.3 MPH average exit velocity) and striking out the least since 2021 (28.6 K%). Entering his age-35 season, it's hard to see how these numbers are sustainable for the 2017 NL MVP. 

Both options at DH for the Yankees have a track record of crushing the ball. The options are a proven 35-year-old returning from major injury and a 26-year-old who's been making a name for himself.  

The question remains: How can the Yankees keep these two hitters in the lineup? 

Stanton is the less flexible option as he only plays DH. Rice is someone who can fill more positions. A catcher by trade and recently trained first basemen, Rice can plug in when either Austin Wells or Paul Goldschmidt needs rest. 

What the Yankees should consider is platooning Rice and Stanton. This season, Rice has been hitting righties significantly better than lefties (.164 AVG vs. LHP, .266 AVG vs. RHP). While Stanton's splits are the opposite, as he shines more against lefties (Career .277 AVG vs. LHP, .252 AVG vs. RHP).

Each hitter excels against the opposite arm. Along with giving Rice work at first and behind the plate, the Yankees should consider starting Rice when a righty is on the mound and Stanton against southpaws. 

The combination of both sluggers is excellent for the Yankees. The idea of a platoon eliminates any weakness that either Stanton or Rice has individually. Regardless of who gets more playing time, both Stanton and Rice are going to be extremely important for this ball club going forward.