After a gut-punch loss to the Pirates on Sunday—where they clawed back from a 4-1 hole only to fall short in the end—the New York Yankees are packing up and heading to Detroit. But let’s not hang our heads too low.
Even in defeat, this team showed fight, and that ninth-inning rally was no fluke. The Bombers have been raking, and there’s no sign of that letting up.
Ben Rice Keeps Cooking
At the heart of this offensive surge is Ben Rice, a left-handed bat with a swing as smooth as jazz on a Sunday afternoon. Though he got a breather in the Pittsburgh finale, he’s penciled back in at the top of the order for Monday’s showdown with the AL Central-leading Tigers.
The move isn’t just a nod to his recent form—it’s a calculated play by Aaron Boone to keep momentum rolling.
Rice has been alternating leadoff duties with veteran Paul Goldschmidt, and together, they’ve given Boone a welcome luxury: options. Matchup-dependent flexibility is the name of the game, and with both bats humming, the Yankees aren’t stuck in any one groove.
Spring Success Blooming into Summer
Rice’s bat didn’t cool off when spring training ended. In fact, it’s only heated up. Through the early stretch of the season, he’s slashing a blistering .320/.433/.640 with a pair of long balls and eight runs to his name. He’s not just hitting—he’s mashing, putting up an OPS north of 1.000 and sending a clear message that his breakout is more than just a spring fling.
It’s like watching a rocket that finally found the right fuel. For Rice, the ball is jumping off the bat with more authority than ever before in his pro career, and it’s giving the Yankees a jolt at the top of the order that’s hard to ignore.
Outfield Shuffle: Rest for the Martian
While Rice returns, the Yankees are giving Jasson Dominguez a day off. In his place, Cody Bellinger slides into left field, while the red-hot Trent Grisham takes over center. It’s a shuffle born not out of necessity, but out of abundance.
With Grisham swinging a hot bat and Bellinger’s versatility, Boone is playing the matchups again—like a chess master who knows just when to push his queen forward and when to wait for the next opening.