One Huge Question Surrounds Yankees' Ben Rice

New York Yankees utility man Ben Rice is expected to be their everyday first baseman come spring, but he will need to improve against left-handed pitching to keep up without Paul Goldschmidt to trade off with him.

Rice batted .208 against lefties in 2025, and seven of his 26 home runs were off left-handed pitchers. The Yankees' overly left-handed lineup has been the subject of much offseason strife, and Rice doesn't want to be part of that problem.

The New York Post's Greg Joyce pointed to this Rice shortcoming among his list of top offseason questions for the Yankees, and winked at his ability to play catcher in the process.

"But now without Paul Goldschmidt as a security blanket, Rice is poised to get everyday starts at first base (assuming he is not needed at catcher), which means holding his own against lefties to further solidify himself as the big middle-of-the-order beast the Yankees see him as," Joyce wrote.

The Future of First Base?

Aug 21, 2025; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees first base Paul Goldschmidt (48) hits an RBI single in the fourth inning against the Boston Red Sox at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images | Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

Goldschmidt, now 38, is much better against left-handed pitching (.336 average), and his bat will be missed in the coming season. He has stated that he won't be retiring, as he still loves playing, but after a somewhat lackluster season on a one-year deal signed last December, Goldy's future in pinstripes is uncertain. A legendary first baseman with four Gold Gloves and a recent NL MVP award (2022), Rice will have big shoes to fill at the position.

Rice at Catcher?

Oct 7, 2025; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees catcher Austin Wells (28) runs to third base after a single hit by shortstop José Caballero (72) (not pictured) in the eighth inning against the Toronto Blue Jays during game three of the ALDS round for the 2025 MLB playoffs at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

Though Boone has said that Rice is likely to be their everyday 1B, current catcher Austin Wells had an underwhelming 2025 offensively, and Rice may be placed there from time to time as well. Both Wells and Rice bat left-handed, and Wells slashed just .219/ .275/ .436 on the season. However, Wells' .240 average against lefties will likely keep Rice at first.

Wells is also an elite catcher, one of the best in the game when it comes to pitch framing, so the Yankees likely won't stray from him unless they find a stronger alternative in what general manager Brian Cashman has described as a "thin market."

The Yankees don't have a great wealth of alternatives at first base at the moment, and Rice is expected to thrive in 2026. A product of the Yankees farm system, Rice will be entering his third season in the MLB after an elite performance with an overall .255/ .337/ .499 slash line and an .836 OPS this year. Rice is on the rise, and with a few needed tweaks, he's looking like the future of the position.

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