Ben Rice Off to a Hotter Start than Juan Soto in his Lone Year with the Yankees

It's wild to think that Ben Rice took Juan Soto's number after he left the New York Yankees, and picked up some of his powers too.

New York Yankees first baseman Ben Rice (22) hits a solo home run during the second inning against the Kansas City Royals at Yankee Stadium. | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

Jack Leiter has all the tools to be one of the great pitchers in baseball. He certainly has the familial pedigree for it. Allowing four earned runs in six innings looks worse than his actual pitching. Leiter was actually solid despite finishing his night with an ERA north of five on the year. His biggest issue wasn't anything he did; rather, he ran into a New York Yankees duo showing signs of being a special tandem.

While it's still way too early to be thinking about all-star selections and MVP votes, Ben Rice and Aaron Judge might be doing things that, once Juan Soto left for Flushing, didn't feel possible. Just ask the Texas Rangers if they see a difference between the two.

It's just funny how baseball works. Rice took his number 22, and two seasons later, he's showing signs that he can be every bit the game wrecker that Soto was with Judge.

New York Yankees outfielder Juan Soto (22) reacts with outfielder Aaron Judge (99) wafter hitting a home run against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the third inning for game two of the 2024 MLB World Series at Dodger Stadium. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Whether Rice has all the tools to finish a season hitting at a high level throughout the course of 162 games is another conversation entirely. For now, all we have to analyze are those first 28 games, and Rice is off to a similar start as what Soto posted in 2024.

Rice's special start

This season, Rice is hitting .322/.447/.744 with a 215 wRC+. He has 10 homers, 23 RBI, and, despite the calendar not reaching May, a 1.7 WAR according to FanGraphs. For context on how valuable his bat is, a below-average defensive first baseman and DH isn't getting much of a boost via WAR.

“yeah i couldnt let him (ben rice) catch me in homers so i had to make sure i got one after he did that”

“just trying to keep him honest keep him
motivated hes getting a lil complacent” these two 😭 pic.twitter.com/WFNpuG4mvh

— sports live tweeter yadira (@jonmoxIeys) April 28, 2026

Still, Rice is a tick below Shohei Ohtani's 2 WAR, who accumulates his value as a pitcher. He is also right above Judge, who has a 1.5 WAR, but that's because the captain hasn't quite hit his stride yet, which is a scary thought in itself for opposing pitchers.

Juan Soto with the Yankees

As for 2024 Soto, in his first 28 games, he hit .324/.443/.581 with a 191 wRC+. He had seven home runs and 23 RBI.

Soto ended up finishing that year as an MVP runner-up behind Judge. He hit .288/.419/.569 with a 154 wRC+. He had 41 homers and 109 RBI. If Rice can match that, or at least get close to it, the Yankees may feel even better about watching Soto walk to Flushing. It isn't so far-fetched to think it's possible, either.

New York Yankees outfielder Juan Soto (left) greeted by first baseman Ben Rice (right) following his solo home run in the fifth inning against the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. | Mitch Stringer-Imagn Images

Rice's Baseball Savant page is a sea of red, which is another similarity he shares with the former Yankees star Soto, who once donned that No. 22, hitting behind No. 99. While it is fun to look at their individual abilities to clobber baseballs, one of the most important traits they both share is their eye at the plate.

Soto had an 18.1% walk rate in 2024. He saw 4.1 Pitches Per Plate Appearance that year. Rice, in 2026, has an 18.3% walk rate and sees 4.2 P/PA.

Another World Series?

It's a long way before anybody can declare that Rice is the proper replacement for Soto. Still, if that is the case, Rice is checking off all the right boxes in this young season and his young career.

Granted, Rice may not find his way to Cooperstown like Soto is destined to be, but if he helps the Yankees get back to the World Series and end that championship drought, a Cooperstown bust may not be necessary. He'll be a hero in New York forever.