Yankees' Ben Rice on incredible pace amid scorching start

New York Yankees first baseman Ben Rice. Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

Yankees' Ben Rice on incredible pace amid scorching start

By Vanessa Serrao | Last updated Apr 28, 2026 1:17 PM ET

New York Yankees rising star Ben Rice continues to unleash power. The 27-year-old hit his 10th homerun of the season in the Yankees' 4-2 victory over the Texas Rangers on Monday night

Rice, along with teammate Aaron Judge, made franchise history against the Rangers on Monday. They became the second dynamic power-hitting duo behind Mickey Mantle and Yogi Berra to hit 10 or more home runs across the first 29 games of a season.

Ben Rice maintains status as a power threat

The first baseman's blistering performance has him on pace to blast a whopping 57 home runs. While it remains to be seen if the slugger can reach that lofty mark, the numbers indicate his scorching start isn't a fluke.

His hot start is backed up by elite batting metrics, where he ranks in the 100th percentile with a hard-hit rate of 64.5 percent as well as an average exit velocity of 95.7 mph that ranks in the 99th percentile. He also ranks in the high 90s in several other offensive categories.

Ben Rice MLB ranks:

.330 BA - t-5th
10 HR - t-4th
1.211 OPS - 2ndpic.twitter.com/IWqvPUcETO
— Underdog MLB (@UnderdogMLB) April 28, 2026

The power he has unleashed has had many drawing comparisons to his slugging teammate Judge.

His pull-side focus at the plate and improved plate discipline, resulting in a 19.9 percent chase rate (94th percentile), have made him one of the Yankees' most dangerous and reliable hitters.

His solid plate discipline (18.4 percent walk-rate) has also allowed him to develop more patience and force pitchers to be cautious of how they pitch to him.

He's also showcased his ability to hit against left-handed pitchers. He has four bombs against southpaws this season, including going 8-for-24 (.333 average). This is a vast improvement from the start of his career, where he lacked power hitting against lefties.

While the baseball world watches to see if Rice can continue his torrid pace, the Yankees are certainly thrilled with his performance over the first month of the season and the foundation he's laid for a true breakout campaign.

Vanessa Serrao

Serrao is a freelance baseball writer who has covered all MLB teams, with particular expertise on the Toronto Blue Jays. She is a member of the Internet Baseball Writers Association of America.

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