Ben Rice is expected to play a key role for the New York Yankees in the 2026 season. After Paul Goldschmidt became a free agent in November, Rice emerged as the likely starting first baseman for the team. The 26-year-old had a strong performance in 2025, splitting his time between first base, designated hitter, and catcher.
Rice’s statistics from last season include 26 home runs and a 131 OPS+ over 530 plate appearances. These numbers are supported by advanced metrics that highlight his power and contact abilities. According to Baseball Savant data, Rice ranked in the 97th percentile for hard-hit rate, the 90th percentile for sweet-spot rate, and the 92nd percentile for barrel rate during the past season.
His strikeout rate was also notable at 18.9%, which was lower than the MLB average of 22.2% and placed him in the 65th percentile among qualifying players. His whiff rate stood at 21.2%, ranking him in the 71st percentile.
Since Statcast tracking began in Major League Baseball in 2015 (excluding the shortened 2020 season), only twelve hitters have managed to rank in both the top ten percentiles for hard-hit and barrel rates while also maintaining an above-average strikeout rate within a single qualifying season. Every other player on this list has made at least three All-Star teams and finished among their league’s top three MVP vote-getters at least once; five have won MVP awards.
Rice’s ability to control the strike zone is another strength noted by analysts. In his second year with the Yankees, he maintained a disciplined approach with a chase rate of just over twenty-one percent—placing him among league leaders—and produced an above-average contact rate on pitches inside the strike zone.
Additionally, Rice’s swing is described as fast and efficient without sacrificing control or power output. Statcast metrics indicate that when he “blasts”—a term used to describe high-quality contact with plus bat speed—he ranks among MLB’s best since such measurements began being tracked two years ago.
A significant portion of Rice’s power comes from pulling balls into play through the air—a method favored by several established sluggers regardless of size or bat speed—which suits Yankee Stadium’s dimensions well for left-handed hitters like Rice. Last year, more than two-thirds of his extra-base hits came from pulled balls.
As questions remain about potential changes to New York’s outfield roster—including whether Cody Bellinger will return—Rice faces increased expectations heading into next season as one of baseball’s less experienced starting first basemen within a competitive division featuring names like Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Yandy Díaz, Pete Alonso, and Willson Contreras.
Despite these challenges, observers believe that Rice has demonstrated enough offensive skill to meet these demands: “However, everything we saw from him at the plate this past season suggests he’s up to the task.”
