Ben Rice Fantasy Stats

New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone said that first baseman/catcher Ben Rice and outfielder Trent Grisham, who are both out of the starting lineup on Friday against San Francisco Giants lefty Robbie Ray, will see playing time against southpaws in 2026, according to Bryan Hoch of MLB.com. "A lot of it has to do with the first three series, the first nine games -- this (Robbie Ray) is probably the only lefty we're going to see," Boone said. Rice, 27, broke out in 2025 in his first full year in the big leagues and earned more exposure to lefties, hitting .255/.337/.499 with an .836 OPS, 26 home runs, 65 RBI, and 74 runs scored in 530 plate appearances over 138 games played. Against left-handers, Rice went 22-for-106 (.208) with seven of his home runs on the season. The 27-year-old lefty slugger also has catcher eligibility. Rice's fantasy arrow is firmly pointing up in 2026. He went 1-for-4 on Opening night on Wednesday in the win over the Giants.

New York Yankees left-handed-hitting first baseman/catcher Ben Rice will take a seat on Friday at Oracle Park against the San Francisco Giants with left-hander Robbie Ray on the mound, according to MLB.com. Rice will give way to right-handed-hitting Paul Goldschmidt, who is starting at first base and batting leadoff for the Yanks. Rice, who broke out in 2025 with 26 home runs and 65 RBI in 138 games played, is expected to play more against lefties in 2026, but he'll start on the bench in this one. In his young MLB career, Rice has a .683 OPS against left-handers as opposed to an .809 OPS versus righty pitchers. He went 1-for-4 with a walk and a run scored in Wednesday night's Opening Day win over San Fran. Goldschmidt, a former National League MVP, has seen a decline in his production in recent years, but the 38-year-old veteran did have an impressive .981 OPS with seven of his 10 homers against southpaws last year. He's gone hitless in five career at-bats against Ray.

New York Yankees first baseman Ben Rice is hitting cleanup on Opening night on Wednesday at Oracle Park against the San Francisco Giants and right-hander Logan Webb, according to MLB.com. Rice is entrusted in the middle of New York's potent lineup after breaking out in 2025 to the tune of a .255/.337/.499 slash line, .836 OPS, 26 home runs, 65 RBI, and 74 runs scored in 530 plate appearances over 138 regular-season games. He has only faced Webb three times in his career and has one hit and an RBI. Not only does Rice have 30-homer potential at Yankee Stadium from the left side of the plate, but he also has catcher eligibility for fantasy managers. In 16 Grapefruit League games in spring training, Rice went 11-for-46 (.239) with two home runs, five RBI, seven runs scored, and a stolen base. He's as good a DFS selection on Opening night in San Fran as any Yankees hitter.

New York Yankees first baseman/catcher Ben Rice was deployed behind the plate for the first time this spring on Sunday, per MLB.com's Bryan Hoch. Rice is expected to be New York's primary first baseman in 2026, but he came through the minors as a catcher and caught 36 games for the Yankees in 2025. With Austin Wells locked in as the team's starter behind the plate and J.C. Escarra on the Opening Day roster as the backup, Rice may not see much time at catcher early in 2026. Still, it's noteworthy that Rice may not be limited to just first base and designated hitter in the minds of the Yankees' decision-makers. With veteran first baseman Paul Goldschmidt on the roster, Rice may be limited to a big-side platoon role unless the team trusts him to take reps behind the plate against left-handed pitching.

New York Yankees first baseman/catcher Ben Rice had a breakout season in 2025, slashing .255/.337/.499 with 26 home runs, 65 RBI, 74 runs scored, and three stolen bases across 530 plate appearances. The 27-year-old's underlying metrics fully supported his emergence, as he posted excellent barrel (15.4%) and hard-hit rates (55.8%). Rice is expected to be the Yankees' primary first baseman in 2026. Additionally, Rice also started 36 games behind the plate for the Yankees in 2025, giving him catcher eligibility across all fantasy formats in 2026 and massively boosting his value. However, New York also re-signed veteran first baseman Paul Goldschmidt over the offseason, which could eat into Rice's playing time against left-handed pitching. Rice posted a respectable .752 OPS against lefties in 2025, but Goldschmidt mashed southpaws to a .981 OPS. If Rice ends up sitting against left-handed starters, he may not end up logging enough playing time to fully justify his rising cost in drafts.

Despite the return of first baseman Paul Goldschmidt on a one-year deal, New York Yankees first baseman/catcher Ben Rice should see the majority of playing time at first base in 2026, according to Gary Phillips of the New York Daily News. "I think Benny's going to definitely be planning to get the bulk of the playing time over there. And I'm definitely fine with whatever role they need me to [do]," Goldschmidt said. The Yankees said early in the offseason that Rice would play "a lot" against left-handed pitchers, but the return of Goldy complicates things at first base. Goldschmidt had a .981 OPS against southpaws in 2025, so he should play often at first in those situations. Rice, meanwhile, could give Austin Wells a break behind the dish against lefties. As long as Rice swings the bat like he did last year (26 home runs in 138 regular-season games), fantasy managers shouldn't have to worry about his playing time. Rice is a top-10 fantasy first baseman at RotoBaller.

New York Yankees first baseman/catcher Ben Rice could shift to a larger role behind the dish following the signing of veteran first baseman Paul Goldschmidt. Goldschmidt split time at first base with Rice last season and typically kept the young first baseman in a platoon role. However, earlier this offseason, Yankees manager Aaron Boone noted that Rice would play "a lot more" against left-handed pitchers. With Goldschmidt rejoining the Bronx Bombers, Rice now faces much more competition for a consistent role. Despite this, The Athletic's Chris Kirschner noted that Goldschmidt's return could move Rice firmly into the No. 2 catcher role, behind Austin Wells. With another infielder on the team, the Yankees could look to keep Rice as the primary first baseman and backup catcher to save an outfield spot, which could allow Jasson Dominguez to stay on the other MLB roster. Last summer, Rice flashed immense upside, posting a .255/.337/.499 line with 26 home runs. He carries top-5 upside at the catcher position and could become a top-3 option if he were to see a full-time role.

The New York Yankees are bringing veteran first baseman Paul Goldschmidt back on a one-year deal, which could negatively affect the playing time for left-handed-hitting first baseman Ben Rice in 2026. Manager Aaron Boone said last month that Rice would play a lot against left-handed pitchers this year, but that could change a bit now that Goldy is back in the fold. Although Goldschmidt isn't the hitter he once was, he did kill southpaws in 2025 to the tune of a .336/.411/.570 slash line and .981 OPS in 168 plate appearances. The 26-year-old Rice hit only .208 against lefties in 119 regular-season plate appearances, although he did slug .481 against them with seven home runs. Goldy's return isn't great news for Rice's overall fantasy upside, but he will still be on the strong side of a platoon and can also pick up playing time behind the plate. RotoBaller considers Rice a top-10 first base option in 2026.

New York Yankees first baseman Ben Rice is expected to play "a lot "against left-handed pitching, according to Greg Joyce of The New York Post. Last season, Rice was typically held out against left-handed pitchers, with the Yankees instead deploying Paul Goldschmidt at first base, who performed well against southpaws. However, with Goldschmidt off the roster, Rice appears not only poised to be the primary first baseman but also to be penciled into the starting lineup on a daily basis. During the 2025 campaign, Rice flashed elite upside, posting a .255/.337/.499 line with 26 home runs and three stolen bases. Under the hood, Rice generated an elite .394 xwOBA, .283 xBA, and a .557 xSLG, suggesting he could be primed for an even more productive 2026 season. Given that he is projected to earn nearly full-time at-bats, Rice should be viewed as a high-end caliber starting first baseman in all formats.

New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone said he sees first baseman Ben Rice as the team's starting first baseman next year, but that won't mean that he will abandon catching behind Austin Wells, accordig to Gary Phillips of the New York Daily News. Rice filled a unique utility role for the Yankees in 2025, serving as the designated hitter, playing first base, and also catching down the stretch. The 26-year-old former 12th-round pick in 2021 out of Dartmouth College took a big step forward in his second season in the big leagues, and first full campaign. In 138 games played, he hit .255 (119-for-467) with 26 home runs, 65 RBI, 74 runs scored, and three stolen bases in 530 trips to the plate. It became apparent pretty quickly that he was the better option at first base over the aging Paul Goldschmidt, but the Yankees needed him to fill multiple roles. Rice is a player on the rise and will be an everyday player in 2026.