2025 Stats
AVG
.255
HR
26
RBI
65
R
74
SB
3
2026 Projections
2025 Fantasy Outlook
The late great Steve Moyer would often throw out names in LABR with the label, "the sabermetric darling...." If Moyer was still with us today, he would no doubt slap that label on Ben Rice because the youngster absolutely earned it in 2025. Rice did not have enough plate appearances to qualify for leaderboards last season, but his barrel percentage and chase percentage along with an intriguing xwOBA were enough to get fantasy managers intrigued. That, and the news he may catch some games in 2026. Everything was a Ricearoni treat, as Rice not only raked, but he ended up catching enough to qualify for the position in 2026 and greatly raising his fantasy profile for this draft season. Rice, unsurprisingly, had his issues against fellow southpaws, hitting .208 with just seven of his 26 home runs against them, but his home/road home run splits were nearly dead even along with his batting average. His numbers really took off after the break, as Rice hit .281/.352/.542 in the 60 games leading into October. There are few players whose 2026 outlook has changed in the past year more than Rice's. As long as he continues to hit like this, the Yankees can live with the defensive issues. Read Past Outlooks
Signed a one-year contract with the Yankees in March of 2025.
Viewed as primary first baseman
Yankees manager Aaron Boone said Thursday that he views Rice as the team's primary first baseman next season, Gary Phillips of the New York Daily News reports.
Analysis
Rice split time between designated hitter (48 starts), first base (46 starts) and catcher (26 starts) in 2025, slashing .255/.337/.499 with 26 home runs across 530 regular-season plate appearances. Boone didn't rule out Rice serving as the team's No. 2 or No. 3 catcher in 2026, but most of the 26-year-old's playing time is expected to come at first base.
Rice split time between designated hitter (48 starts), first base (46 starts) and catcher (26 starts) in 2025, slashing .255/.337/.499 with 26 home runs across 530 regular-season plate appearances. Boone didn't rule out Rice serving as the team's No. 2 or No. 3 catcher in 2026, but most of the 26-year-old's playing time is expected to come at first base.
Batting Stats
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2025 MLB Game Log
2025
2024
Minor League Game Log
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Batting Order Slot Breakdown
#1
#2
#3
#4
#5
#6
#7
#8
#9
21
38
14
12
6
7
2
4
#1
#2
#3
#4
#5
#6
#7
#8
#9
6
1
2
3
1
1
1
Left/Right Batting Splits
Since 2023
+19%
OPS vs RHP
2025
+14%
OPS vs RHP
| OPS | PA | HR | RBI | AVG | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Since 2023vs Left | .683 | 163 | 8 | 21 | .189 | ||||
| Since 2023vs Right | .810 | 543 | 25 | 67 | .248 | ||||
| 2025vs Left | .752 | 118 | 7 | 18 | .208 | ||||
| 2025vs Right | .860 | 410 | 19 | 47 | .269 | ||||
| 2024vs Left | .483 | 45 | 1 | 3 | .135 | ||||
| 2024vs Right | .654 | 133 | 6 | 20 | .183 | ||||
| 2023vs Left | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||
| 2023vs Right | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||
| More Splits→ | View More Split Stats | ||||||||
| Minor League Splits→ | View Minor League Split Stats | ||||||||
Home/Away Batting Splits
Since 2023
+1%
OPS on Road
2025
+4%
OPS at Home
| OPS | PA | HR | RBI | AVG | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Since 2023Home | .778 | 360 | 18 | 39 | .224 | ||||
| Since 2023Away | .783 | 346 | 15 | 49 | .244 | ||||
| 2025Home | .854 | 256 | 14 | 27 | .250 | ||||
| 2025Away | .820 | 272 | 12 | 38 | .259 | ||||
| 2024Home | .587 | 104 | 4 | 12 | .159 | ||||
| 2024Away | .647 | 74 | 3 | 11 | .188 | ||||
| 2023Home | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||
| 2023Away | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||
| More Splits→ | View More Split Stats | ||||||||
Stat Review
How does Ben Rice compare to other hitters?
This section compares his stats with all batting seasons from the previous three seasons (minimum 400 plate appearances)*. The bar represents the player's percentile rank. For example, if the bar is halfway across, then the player falls into the 50th percentile for that stat and it would be considered average.
* Exit Velocity and Barrels/PA % are benchmarked against 2019 data (min 400 PA) and Hard Hit Rate is benchmarked against last season's data (min 400 PA). See here for more exit velocity/barrels stats plus an explanation of current limitations with that data set.
* Exit Velocity and Barrels/PA % are benchmarked against 2019 data (min 400 PA) and Hard Hit Rate is benchmarked against last season's data (min 400 PA). See here for more exit velocity/barrels stats plus an explanation of current limitations with that data set.
BB/K
0.50BB Rate
9.5%K Rate
18.9%BABIP
.271ISO
.244AVG
.255OBP
.337SLG
.499OPS
.836wOBA
.363Exit Velocity
93.3 mphHard Hit Rate
40.5%Barrels/PA
10.8%Expected BA
.289Expected SLG
.551Sprint Speed
23.3 ft/secGround Ball %
39.6%Line Drive %
19.2%Fly Ball %
41.2%Prospect Rankings History
Advanced Batting Stats
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Additional Stats
Games By Position
Defensive Stats
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Batted Ball Stats
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Stats Vs Upcoming Pitchers
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2024 Fantasy Outlook
Rice put up cartoonish numbers across Single-A, High-A and Double-A as a 24-year-old catcher who probably isn't a good enough defender to catch regularly in the big leagues. He slashed .324/.434/.615 with 20 home runs and an 18.7 percent strikeout rate in 73 games, 48 of which came at Double-A, which was noteworthy enough for him to emerge as a legitimate prospect in dynasty leagues despite his age. He already started seeing time at first base last year, but the Yankees may give him another season to try to make enough progress to stick at catcher. It should be viewed as a long shot that he is catcher eligible in fantasy for more than a year or two. Rice's mammoth power and lack of strikeout issues thus far give him a chance to be an everyday designated hitter/first baseman during his mid-20s, although that opportunity may not come as a member of the Yankees.
More Fantasy News
Retreating to bench
Rice is not in the lineup Wednesday for Game 4 of the ALDS versus the Blue Jays.
Analysis
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Drawing start against southpaw
Rice will start at first base and bat fifth Thursday in Game 3 of the American League Wild Card Series against the Red Sox.
Analysis
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Taking seat in Game 1
Rice is not in the lineup Tuesday for Game 1 of the American League Wild Card Series against the Yankees.
Analysis
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Powers Yanks with pair of homers
Rice went 2-for-4 with two solo home runs in Sunday's 3-2 win over the Orioles.
Analysis
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Absent from lineup
Rice is not in the lineup for Friday's contest versus the Orioles.
Analysis
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Latest Fantasy Rumors
Trade interest as catcher
The Yankees have received trade inquiries from teams interested in using Rice as a catcher, Joel Sherman of the New York Post reports.
Analysis
The Yankees have been working Rice in behind the plate more often lately, but with the presence of Austin Wells, it's uncertain Rice would ever get an opportunity to be a regular catcher in New York. However, Rice's bat might be good enough for him to be a regular at first base and/or designated hitter, and he could get that chance at first base as soon as 2026 with Paul Goldschmidt slated for free agency. Rice is also under team control through 2030, so there's little incentive for the Yankees to trade him in the near future.
The Yankees have been working Rice in behind the plate more often lately, but with the presence of Austin Wells, it's uncertain Rice would ever get an opportunity to be a regular catcher in New York. However, Rice's bat might be good enough for him to be a regular at first base and/or designated hitter, and he could get that chance at first base as soon as 2026 with Paul Goldschmidt slated for free agency. Rice is also under team control through 2030, so there's little incentive for the Yankees to trade him in the near future.