June Swoon Ends Yankees' Ben Rice's AL MVP Bid

Yankees first baseman Ben Rice is struggling without right fielder Aaron Judge in the lineup.

Ben Rice's odds to become the 2026 AL MVP have been squashed as June comes to an end. | Neville E. Guard-Imagn Images

The numbers never lie. And that's not a good thing for Yankees first baseman Ben Rice.

Through the first two months of the season, Rice looked like a legitimate American League MVP candidate. He ranked among the league leaders in home runs and topped the majors in OPS, solidifying himself as one of baseball's top sluggers.

Then right fielder and three-time MVP Aaron Judge landed on the injured list with a fractured rib. And Rice's season went off the rails.

Ben Rice isn't cooking

The 27-year-old slugger is just 2-for 28 over his last eight games and went hitless in the Yankees' lost weekend in Boston as the Red Sox completed a four-game sweep of New York for the first time since 2018, capping off a forgettable June.

Ben Rice's slump played a key factor in the Yankees being swept by the Red Sox. | Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images

Rice is hitting just .202 in June without Judge in the lineup. Yes, he has slugged five home runs this month but still sports an underwhelming .658 OPS with The Captain on the injured list. As a result, the Yankees surrendered first place in the American League East to the Rays, and Rice's MVP candidacy went up in smoke.

Rice's AL MVP odds sit fourth at +1600 on FanDuel Sportsbook, significantly behind the Astros' Yordan Álvarez (-150), the Athletics' Nick Kurtz (+260) and the Royals' Bobby Witt Jr. (+650). Barring a miracle second-half performance, it's safe to see that the Yankees slugger's slump has put an end to his bid.

Rice misses Aaron Judge

Judge's aforementioned injury is one factor going into Rice's declining MVP argument.

“I don’t see guys pressing, including Ben,’’ Yankees hitting coach James Rowson said, according to the New York Post's Dan Martin. “When you miss that caliber of hitter Judge is, it’s an adjustment period for everyone. Guys have done a good job stepping up without Judge, and you’re gonna have stretches like this.”

A quick look at the home run leaders in the majors shows Rice tied for fifth with 22 taters. But he's dropped to eighth in OPS (.928). And his slide comes despite former MVP Paul Goldschmidt exceeding all expectations. The 38-year-old slugger is providing cover for Rice, hitting .323 with eight home runs, 22 RBIs and a .960 OPS in June.

Paul Goldschmidt's strong June performance helped the Yankees, while Ben Rice didn't give them much. | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

Before going down, Judge and Rice had dreams of chasing each other for MVP and aiming to become the first set of teammates with 50-home-run seasons since Mickey Mantle and Roger Maris slugged their way to the 1961 World Series title.

ESPN projects Rice will hit 43 home runs, but without a target return date for Judge, Robin will have to carry the load while the Caped Crusader recovers.

Rice forced to do the heavy lifting

“Ben is already a threat in this league, with or without Judge,’’ Rowson said, per Martin. “Pitchers' game plan against Ben Rice. Maybe it’s tougher for him now, but he’s capable and ready for it. We’ve got to bounce back.”

The Yankees are just 3-7 in their last 10 games and 12-12 without Judge in the lineup, leaving them in second place in the AL East. But New York owns a healthy lead in the AL Wild Card standings and FanGraphs gives the club a 98.2% chance of making the playoffs.

Look, there's plenty of season left for Rice to rally and carry the Yankees' struggling offense. But without Judge (and Giancarlo Stanton, for that matter) in the lineup, the first baseman is showing he's not ready for the prime-time spotlight that comes with an MVP award.

Odds update periodically and are subject to change.

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