Yankees' Ben Rice Isn't an MVP Candidate Without Aaron Judge

Yankees 1B Ben Rice is tied for fourth in the majors with 18 home runs this season, but he's losing steam with Aaron Judge in the lineup.

It's becoming obvious that Ben Rice's production is missing Aaron Judge's presence in the Yankees' lineup. | Neville E. Guard-Imagn Images

The numbers never lie, and that's not a good thing for Yankees first baseman Ben Rice. The young slugger is being asked to carry the club's offense while three-time American League MVP Aaron Judge recovers from a fractured rib.

But here's the rub: no one in the Yankees lineup misses Judge more than Rice. So much so that Rice's MVP candidacy is in jeopardy without the captain.

Yes, Rice is tied for fourth in the majors with 18 home runs this season. And yes, he's still second in MLB with a 1.032 OPS. But his numbers look much different without Judge protecting him in the three-hole.

No protection without Judge

Rice has played five games since the Yankees shut down their right fielder. In those games, Rice has gone just 4-for-18 with one home run and one, yes, one RBI. He's hitting .222 during that stretch with a very pedestrian .778 OPS.

In four of those games, Rice had former MVP Paul Goldschmidt batting behind him, which makes sense since the aging slugger is the best right-handed bat on the roster. Another former MVP, Cody Bellinger, batted behind Rice in the other game.

And while both Goldschmidt and Bellinger are former MVPs and both are capable of putting up big numbers, neither one is Judge. Or even Giancarlo Stanton (when healthy), for that matter.

Ben Rice hasn't had the same impact since Aaron Judge was sidelined. | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

As long as opposing pitchers can work around Rice without fear of reprisal from Judge, the 27-year-old's breakout campaign will struggle.

ESPN projects Rice will hit 46 home runs this season. But before Judge went down, both stars were projected to top 50 home runs this year and join Roger Maris (61) and Mickey Mantle (54) as the only teammates with 50-home-run seasons in the same year.

That magical 1961 campaign ended with Maris winning his second straight AL MVP Award and the Yankees beating the Cincinnati Reds in the World Series.

If Judge can return sooner rather than later to give Rice some help, the Yankees will be well-positioned to win their first World Series since 2009.

Get Rice cooking for stretch run

In fact, FanGraphs gives the Yankees a 14.2% chance of winning the title this year. Only the Dodgers (22.3%) have better World Series odds.

But the Yankees' odds will likely suffer until Rice can get someone watching his six. Judge, who could be on the shelf until August, won't be walking through that door any time soon.

So it will be up to Stanton, who's recovering from a calf strain, to have Rice's back for the dog days of summer. But his return isn't imminent.

Giancarlo Stanton's presence should help Ben Rice when he returns. Unfortunately, the Yankees DH's comeback is still up in the air. | David Butler II-Imagn Images

"(Yankees manager Aaron) Boone has already said that Stanton will not join the Yankees on their upcoming road trip that starts Monday in Cleveland and ends next Sunday in Toronto, with the veteran DH expected to stay in New York to continue his running progression," the New York Post's Joel Sherman reported on Sunday.

Sherman also notes that Stanton might not need a rehab assignment before coming off the injured list since the 36-year-old former MVP won't be asked to play in the field.

As far as Rice is concerned, Stanton can't come back soon enough. In the meantime, let's hope that the 27-year-old slugger can rediscover his touch against the Guardians this week.