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NEW YORK – Ben Rice found himself batting leadoff Sunday afternoon, at a time when Yankees Universe is calling for more.
More opportunities for Rice to impact a game.
And less of a chance that he’s parked on the bench against certain lefty starters, waiting for a leveraged turn at-bat.
“It’s just been impressive to see him take his walks when he can. And come up with the big hit when we need it,’’ said Aaron Judge, following a 7-0 victory against the Royals.
And the Rice-Judge dynamic atop the order ought to get some play.
For a fourth straight game, Rice hit a home run as the Yanks – for the second straight day – battered a Kansas City club now riding a seven-game losing streak.
Three of Rice’s last four homers have been hit versus lefty starters, including Sunday’s second-inning solo shot off Cole Ragans.
But go back to Rice’s first time up Sunday, when he drew a full-count walk against the Royals’ lefty, which set up Judge’s sixth homer in his last eight games.
Rice’s “really long, grind-it-out’’ plate appearance, per manager Aaron Boone, helped the Yanks to a 2-0 lead – the first time in five starts that Ryan Weathers had any runs to work with.
Weathers blanked KC into the eighth inning to earn his first win, and the Yanks (13-9) completed a third straight, three-game sweep of the Royals (7-15) dating to last season.
After an off day, the Yankees go into New England – from where Rice hails – for a series against the Red Sox, with two lefties due to make Boston starts.
Rice, batting .333 against lefties (6-for-18), can’t be on the bench for a minute at Fenway Park.
Viewing the struggling Ragans (0-4, 6.00 ERA) as more a neutral starter, Boone said he “wanted to get some of our lefties’’ in the lineup, with Rice (as DH), Trent Grisham and Ryan McMahon starting.
Out of the No. 5 spot, Grisham crashed a three-run homer in the fifth, capping the Yanks’ seven-run outburst against Ragans, who also walked eight Yanks in 4.1 innings.
But for the first time this year, it was Rice atop the order.
“Benny’s swinging it about as good as anyone in the league and I wanted him on top there today,’’ said Boone, forced to wait through a two-hour, 45-minute rain delay before seeing it.
Grisham became the primary leadoff hitter last year and this season, mainly against righty starters, but Rice started 21 games at leadoff in 2025.
“I like leading off. It’s something I’m comfortable with,’’ said the always amenable Rice, who doesn’t see any reason to change his approach behind Judge.
And why change anything now?
Over his last 18 games, Rice is batting .358, with a 1.413 OPS.
“You can’t practice (getting) experience with it, right?’’ Rice said of learning to hit lefties more consistently. “I’ve just got to continue to get the reps, swing at good pitches, work good at-bats.’’
Rice ought to get that chance more often, while batting ahead of Judge.
With a combined 17 home runs, Judge (9) and Rice (8) are MLB’s current leading team tandem, and five of Judge’s homers have been struck in the first inning.
Rice leads the team with 18 walks.
“I know he’s going to be on base a lot, he’s going to make my job easier,’’ said Judge. “(There’ll) definitely be some headaches for some opposing staffs.
“He’s at the top of the league right now.’’
Believing that Rice is currently “one of the really outstanding hitters in this league,’’ Boone might be swayed by the Rice-Judge dynamic.
On Sunday, “it definitely had that feel to it that you better be on top of your game out of the chute,’’ said Boone. “Just two heavy at-bats against you right away.’’
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: How Ben Rice is becoming a dangerous hitter in Yankees’ lineup
Continue reading...
More opportunities for Rice to impact a game.
And less of a chance that he’s parked on the bench against certain lefty starters, waiting for a leveraged turn at-bat.
“It’s just been impressive to see him take his walks when he can. And come up with the big hit when we need it,’’ said Aaron Judge, following a 7-0 victory against the Royals.
And the Rice-Judge dynamic atop the order ought to get some play.
For a fourth straight game, Rice hit a home run as the Yanks – for the second straight day – battered a Kansas City club now riding a seven-game losing streak.
Three of Rice’s last four homers have been hit versus lefty starters, including Sunday’s second-inning solo shot off Cole Ragans.
Ben Rice sets the tone
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But go back to Rice’s first time up Sunday, when he drew a full-count walk against the Royals’ lefty, which set up Judge’s sixth homer in his last eight games.
Rice’s “really long, grind-it-out’’ plate appearance, per manager Aaron Boone, helped the Yanks to a 2-0 lead – the first time in five starts that Ryan Weathers had any runs to work with.
Weathers blanked KC into the eighth inning to earn his first win, and the Yanks (13-9) completed a third straight, three-game sweep of the Royals (7-15) dating to last season.
After an off day, the Yankees go into New England – from where Rice hails – for a series against the Red Sox, with two lefties due to make Boston starts.
Rice, batting .333 against lefties (6-for-18), can’t be on the bench for a minute at Fenway Park.
Ben Rice in the leadoff spot
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Viewing the struggling Ragans (0-4, 6.00 ERA) as more a neutral starter, Boone said he “wanted to get some of our lefties’’ in the lineup, with Rice (as DH), Trent Grisham and Ryan McMahon starting.
Out of the No. 5 spot, Grisham crashed a three-run homer in the fifth, capping the Yanks’ seven-run outburst against Ragans, who also walked eight Yanks in 4.1 innings.
But for the first time this year, it was Rice atop the order.
“Benny’s swinging it about as good as anyone in the league and I wanted him on top there today,’’ said Boone, forced to wait through a two-hour, 45-minute rain delay before seeing it.
Grisham became the primary leadoff hitter last year and this season, mainly against righty starters, but Rice started 21 games at leadoff in 2025.
“I like leading off. It’s something I’m comfortable with,’’ said the always amenable Rice, who doesn’t see any reason to change his approach behind Judge.
And why change anything now?
The Ben Rice-Aaron Judge dynamic
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Over his last 18 games, Rice is batting .358, with a 1.413 OPS.
“You can’t practice (getting) experience with it, right?’’ Rice said of learning to hit lefties more consistently. “I’ve just got to continue to get the reps, swing at good pitches, work good at-bats.’’
Rice ought to get that chance more often, while batting ahead of Judge.
With a combined 17 home runs, Judge (9) and Rice (8) are MLB’s current leading team tandem, and five of Judge’s homers have been struck in the first inning.
Rice leads the team with 18 walks.
“I know he’s going to be on base a lot, he’s going to make my job easier,’’ said Judge. “(There’ll) definitely be some headaches for some opposing staffs.
“He’s at the top of the league right now.’’
Believing that Rice is currently “one of the really outstanding hitters in this league,’’ Boone might be swayed by the Rice-Judge dynamic.
On Sunday, “it definitely had that feel to it that you better be on top of your game out of the chute,’’ said Boone. “Just two heavy at-bats against you right away.’’
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: How Ben Rice is becoming a dangerous hitter in Yankees’ lineup
Continue reading...
