The New York Yankees enter 2026 with a straightforward question at first base: Can Ben Rice handle everyday duties?
With no guarantee that Paul Goldschmidt re-signs with the Yankees, the 26-year-old left-handed slugger no longer has a safety net against southpaws. The Yankees believe Rice possesses middle-of-the-order power, and MLB Network insider Joel Sherman sees a tantalizing ceiling. The path to reaching it, however, runs directly through the left-handed pitchers who gave Rice fits all season.
New York Yankees’ Ben Rice Compared to Philadelphia Phillies’ Kyle Schwarber by MLB Insider
Sherman, appearing on the Pinstripe Post on Monday, offered a compelling comp for Rice’s offensive profile.
“He is someplace on the Kyle Schwarber scale,” Sherman said. “Awesome, left-hand power, (he) can tell a ball from a strike. They’ll probably be high strikeout numbers, high walk numbers, and homers. How close is he? 80% of Schwarber. Is he 85%? I mean, is he 90%?”
For context, Schwarber led the National League with 56 home runs in 2025 while posting a .928 OPS and 152 wRC+ across 162 games for the Phillies. If Rice can deliver even 80% of that production while making near the league minimum, the New York Yankees would have one of baseball’s best value plays.
Sherman projected Rice as “the five or six hole hitter on the team” while acknowledging his limitations. “He’s always going to be a bat-first player wherever he ends up,” Sherman said. “Can he get close to Major League average at first base (defensively)? I don’t know.”
Sherman also noted that Ahmed Rosario is expected to get some reps at first base during spring training, suggesting the Yankees want to explore their depth options at the position.
Rice’s Advanced Metrics Support the Schwarber Comparison
The underlying numbers from Rice’s 2025 season suggest Sherman’s comp isn’t a stretch. Rice slashed .255/.337/.499 with 26 home runs and 65 RBIs across 138 games, good for a 131 OPS+ and 2.3 WAR. Those surface stats, while solid, undersell what Rice actually did at the plate.
According to Baseball Savant, Rice ranked in the 97th percentile in expected weighted on-base average (.394), 97th percentile in expected slugging (.557), and 97th percentile in hard-hit rate (56.1%). His 92nd-percentile barrel rate (15.4%) and 95th-percentile average exit velocity (93.3 mph) placed him among baseball’s elite contact quality producers.
Rice also showed the plate discipline Sherman referenced. His 91st-percentile chase rate showed an advanced understanding of the strike zone, and his 65th-percentile strikeout rate (18.9%) was far better than expected for a power-first hitter.
The transformation from 2024 to 2025 was dramatic. Rice hit just .171 with a .613 OPS and -0.4 WAR in 50 games during his rookie season. After adding roughly 10 pounds of muscle heading into 2025, he emerged as one of the Yankees’ most productive hitters, with 58 of his 119 hits going for extra bases.
Manager Aaron Boone sees “a fearsome left-handed, middle-of-the-order hitter” and has indicated the Yankees “definitely see him as our first baseman” going forward.
Left-Handed Pitching Remains Rice’s Biggest Obstacle
The everyday player question ultimately comes down to one glaring split. Rice hit .269 against right-handed pitching in 2025 but just .208 against lefties. His strikeout rate ballooned from 16.3% against righties to 27.7% against southpaws.
For his career in the Majors, Rice owns a .189 average with a .683 OPS against left-handed pitchers. Goldschmidt absorbed most of those matchups last season. That protection no longer exists.
Boone has already indicated he expects Rice to play “a lot” against left-handed starters in 2026. Rice expressed optimism about the opportunity.
“I’m excited to get an opportunity that will maybe help me get some more action against lefties,” Rice said. “Facing lefties is something that I’ve made a lot of improvements on throughout the course of my career. I’m excited to keep working at it.”
The offensive ceiling is real. The Schwarber comp is backed by elite metrics. Whether Rice can close the gap against same-side pitching will determine if the Yankees have their everyday first baseman or a platoon bat with untapped potential.
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