Is the Yankees’ Second-Best Hitter Still Stuck in a Platoon?

We are not even a month into the 2026 MLB season, and we have already seen several surprise players taking the lead for their teams. One of these players is the New York Yankees‘ Ben Rice.

Rice currently leads New York in batting average (.311), slugging percentage (.716), on-base percentage (.453) and OPS (1.169).

However, the issue for the Yankees is how to use Rice in certain scenarios, such as against left-handed pitching, when he has to compete for playing time with right-handed hitters Paul Goldschmidt and Giancarlo Stanton. This is not a bad problem for the team to have, but one that has caused some confusion for fans early on.

Stats updated prior to games on April 24.

Background on Ben

Rice first came up to the majors in June 2024, with a bit of fanfare. The Cohasset, Massachusetts native had grown up a Yankee fan behind enemy lines in New England, and his left-handed swing seemed perfect for Yankee Stadium’s famed short right field porch.

During minor league stints in 2024, Rice batted .273, knocking 24 homers with a slugging percentage of .567.

He got a hit in his first major league at-bat, and on July 6, 2024 became the first rookie in Yankees history to hit three home runs in one game. He appeared in 50 games, recording 26 hits, 23 RBI and seven home runs. Although it was not the best rookie season, as Rice finished with a .613 OPS, he showed potential.

After a solid showing in 2025 spring training, he made the Opening Day roster and played 138 games. He went on to slug at .499, with an .836 OPS, 26 home runs and 58 extra-base hits – very impressive numbers for a sophomore season.

Despite his success, Rice was also seen as one of the unluckiest hitters in baseball. He constantly put good wood on the ball, but a lot of his fly balls were caught on the warning track, the type that made the Yankee Stadium crowd stand up and sit right back down. His xSLG was .557 and his xwOBA was at .397, both within the top 4% in MLB. Rice put up great numbers, but he could have been even better.

So, Yankees fans still believed that with more playing time, he could become an important piece in the lineup.

Rice’s Contributions in 2026

Over the first four weeks of the season, Rice has been the most consistent hitter on the Yankees. He has hit eight home runs, driven in 18, and is second in the league in OPS, slugging percentage and on-base percentage, behind Yordan Alvarez in each category.

Rice is within the 89th percentile or higher in most of the batting rankings on Baseball Savant, and many of his hits have come at big times for New York. He hit a big two-run double in the final game of the team’s season-opening sweep of the Giants, and his first homer of the season was an important insurance run to secure a series win over the Mariners.

He seems more comfortable in the batter’s box than he did in his previous two years. Although he is still in many ways playing for his career, his spot on the team for this season alone, barring any drastic changes, has been secured. His quick lefty swing has lived up to what was expected when he first came to the Bronx.

The one area for improvement is his strikeout rate, which has jumped from 18.1% last year to 29.5% this year. If he can bring this down over the course of the year, even if it comes with a drop in slugging, this could help to expand the Yankee lineup past Aaron Judge and put less pressure on the established stars.

The Dilemma at Hand

A lot of conversation has been had over Yankees manager Aaron Boone’s lineup decisions when the team faces left-handed pitchers.

Rice did not look nearly as potent against same-handed pitching in his first two seasons. He hit .189 with a .683 OPS in a small sample of 164 PA.

He is currently hitting .304 (7-for-23) against lefties, with a 1.103 OPS. Earlier this month, Boone sat Rice against Angels southpaw Reid Detmers, a game the Yankees lost 7-1. In last weekend’s series against the Royals, Rice started and hit home runs in games against lefties Noah Cameron and Cole Ragans, both wins by at least seven runs.

When asked after Saturday’s game about Rice’s start to the season, Boone said that “He has solidified himself as one of the best hitters in baseball.” The skipper was then asked if he would still bench Rice against lefties, to which Boone responded, “I’ll pick my spots when it makes sense.”

Most recently, the Yankees took on the Red Sox and faced southpaw starters in all three games. Rice started against the rookies Connelly Early and Payton Tolle but sat against the more established Ranger Suárez.

So, fans want to know, will Rice continue to play part-time against lefties, or will he become an unquestioned member of the New York starting lineup regardless of who is on the mound? The answer lies with former MVP first baseman Paul Goldschmidt.

Rice has played catcher in the past, but his long-term position will be first base or DH. Those are the same positions that Goldschmidt can play.

The 38-year-old has spent a Hall of Fame career tormenting left-handers, so one can understand the temptation to give him a shot. That’s why the Yankees re-signed him this past winter on a one-year, $4 million deal.

Yet, with Rice’s early domination, giving playing time to Goldschmidt becomes difficult. The veteran hit .336 with a .981 OPS against lefties last season, but at his advanced age, regression is always a possibility. Moreover, the Yankees don’t want to risk overplaying him, so that when October rolls around, he can be at full health.

Giancarlo Stanton also plays into this equation. Although his batting line is mediocre right now, his ability to perform in big spots can be a huge boost for the team. He has also hit well against left-handed pitching in his career. He hit .277 with a .951 OPS against lefties last year, though he only has four hits against left-handers in 2026, and all four came this past week against Boston (a solo home run and three doubles).

Stanton has also rarely played the field for the past few seasons, and he struggles on the basepaths. So, when he’s in the lineup, he’s in the lineup at DH. And Yankee fans want him in the lineup regardless of his inconsistency, because he tends to hit in streaks and can be a huge asset when he does perform.

Rice, Goldschmidt and Stanton

What I would say is that Boone should keep Rice in as the Yankees’ first baseman against lefties, as long as he keeps hitting well. Rice is the kind of hitter that the Yankees need to be successful, and he has earned the chance to prove he is more than a platoon bat.

Hopefully, the fact that he is still young and is still in many ways still playing for his big league career gives him extra motivation to keep contributing.

Goldschmidt still has a role on the team, but it should be reduced. He can be worked in at first when Rice needs rest (or has to catch), and he can DH if Stanton takes a day off as well.

Ben Rice has had the kind of start that deserves to be rewarded with a spot in the everyday lineup. If he keeps performing well, he will continue to be a huge piece of the team as the season progresses.