Ben Rice Fantasy Stats

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.

New York Yankees first baseman/catcher Ben Rice had a monster game at the plate to lead his team to a 7-1 victory over the Baltimore Orioles on Sunday. The 26-year-old finished the afternoon 4-for-5 with a grand slam, a double, and five RBI. He put the exclamation point on his day by taking reliever Keegan Akin deep with the bases loaded in the 10th inning to break a 1-1 tie and all but guarantee a win for the Yankees. While it was just the second homer in September for Rice, he has broken out with 24 during his first full season in the majors. The 26-year-old has also slashed a strong .252/.335/.488 with 62 RBI and 69 runs scored across 133 games and 510 plate appearances.

New York Yankees first baseman/catcher Ben Rice is not in the starting lineup against the Boston Red Sox left-hander Garrett Crochet on Saturday. Rice started the season limited to first base/designated hitter duties, but he's earned more playing time behind the plate in recent weeks. That's allowed him to shift into an everyday role split between catcher and first base - Rice had made 15 consecutive starts before hitting the bench on Saturday. The 26-year-old is having a breakout year, slashing .243/.337/.486 with 20 home runs, 47 RBI, and 55 runs scored. He may even be underperforming his underlying numbers, as Rice holds a 16.5% barrel rate and a .579 xSLG. Now that he's catcher-eligible, Rice is a valuable player in fantasy as long as he continues to see near-everyday playing time.

New York Yankees first baseman/designated hitter Ben Rice is on other teams' radars as a potential catcher option in advance of the July 31 trade deadline, Joel Sherman of the New York Post reports. Teams have called the Yankees inquiring about Rice's ability to handle the position, according to Sherman. Rice has minimal experience as a catcher in the majors (Austin Wells is the Yankees' unquestioned starter behind the plate), but the club drafted him as a backstop out of Dartmouth in 2021. He also played the position in the minors, and Sherman says that Rice still thinks of himself as a catcher. However, there's no indication that the playoff-contending Yankees are considering dealing Rice for anything other than a substantial offer. The 25-year-old has been one of New York's top hitters this season, having slashed .232/.323/.468 with 15 home runs in 320 plate appearances. Those are solid numbers, yet Rice may be capable of more. The left-handed hitter ranks among the league's elite in such categories as xwOBA, xBA, xSLG, and average exit velocity, making him a good candidate for positive regression.

New York Yankees outfielder Cody Bellinger and first baseman Ben Rice are both sitting for Monday's series opener in Canada against the division-rival Toronto Blue Jays. Trent Grisham will start in center field and will bat leadoff for the Yankees, while Paul Goldschmidt handles first base and hits sixth versus Blue Jays right-hander Kevin Gausman. Both Grisham and Goldy have plenty of experience against Gausman, with Grisham hitting .222 with an RBI against him in 18 at-bats. Goldschmidt has hit .563 with a solo home run in 16 career at-bats against Gausman. The 30-year-old Bellinger will be sitting after starting in each of the team's last 19 games. The two-time All-Star is having a fine first season in the Bronx, hitting .280 (99-for-354) with 17 long balls, 56 RBI, 56 runs and nine stolen bases in 91 games. Both he and Rice should be back on Tuesday when the series continues.

New York Yankees first baseman Ben Rice will take a seat for Game 2 of the series in Toronto against the division-rival Blue Jays on Canada Day at Rogers Centre. Giancarlo Stanton is serving as the designated hitter and batting fifth, while Paul Goldschmidt will man first base and bat leadoff against Blue Jays right-hander Kevin Gausman. It will be Rice's first day off after starting in each of the last seven games. Manager Aaron Boone has had to get more creative to keep Rice's lefty bat in the lineup with Stanton back in the fold, but perhaps Rice will see more time behind the plate, especially with Austin Wells dealing with a finger injury. The 26-year-old Rice has been excellent against righties this season, and although he's hitting just .229 (55-for-240), he holds a strong .295 xBA and has contributed 14 home runs in what is becoming a breakout season for him.

New York Yankees first baseman Ben Rice is absent from the starting lineup ahead of Saturday's game against the Athletics. Rice will take a seat here after starting in each of the last three games. During that span, Rice went 1-for-10 at the plate, so it looks like he could use a day off. In his absence, Austin Wells will do the catching, while Giancarlo Stanton serves as the designated hitter versus left-hander JP Sears. Rice figures to be back in the mix following this contest.

New York Yankees designated hitter/first baseman Ben Rice collected a pair of extra-base hits during a 9-0 drubbing of the Baltimore Orioles on Saturday. Rice smacked a solo home run off Orioles right-hander Zach Eflin in the second inning and drove in his second run of the day on a fifth-inning triple. The 26-year-old finished the game 2-for-5 and is now batting .232/.315/.477 with 13 homers, 28 RBI, and 34 runs in 249 plate appearances. While those are solid numbers, Rice may have more in the tank - he ranks near the top of the league in hard-hit percentage, average exit velocity, xwOBA, xBA, and xSLG, among other categories. Rice is a strong candidate for positive regression if he receives regular playing time, which has been harder to come by since DH Giancarlo Stanton made his season debut this past Monday.

New York Yankees first baseman/designated hitter Ben Rice is making his first start of the year at catcher on Wednesday and will bat sixth against the visiting Los Angeles Angels and right-hander Jack Kochanowicz. Rice has only appeared in seven games at the big-league level behind the plate, with this being his first career start. The Yankees will need to be more creative to keep Rice's bat in the lineup consistently with Giancarlo Stanton now back. With Rice behind the dish, Austin Wells will retreat to the bench. The 26-year-old Rice will become even more valuable in fantasy leagues if he is able to gain catcher eligibility this year. Although he's hitting just .229 (49-for-214), Rice has 12 homers and is in the 94th percentile in average exit velocity. His .294 xBA ranks 10th in MLB. He has a hit in four career at-bats against Kochanowicz.