Andres Chavez
On Monday, the New York Yankees decided to sit their best hitter in 2026 so far, Ben Rice, with lefty Yusei Kikuchi on the mound for the Angels. On Tuesday, manager Aaron Boone already said that Paul Goldschmidt will play again, as LA is sending southpaw Reid Detmers to the hill. Unless Rice makes a surprising catcher or DH appearance, that means he will start on the bench again.
Goldschmidt is very solid against lefties, yes, but it’s in the Yankees’ best interests to play Rice as often as possible against lefties. He is a beast against righties, with a 287 wRC+ this year, and boasts an 81 mark vs. pitchers of his same hand.
That 81 mark comes in just 11 plate appearances, though. A closer look and a larger sample tell us that he’s actually grown a lot against lefties.
Rice Is Sneaky Good Against Lefties
“Since 7/1/2025, Ben Rice is hitting .277/.352/.596 off LHP (54 PA) with a 157 wRC+,” Yankeesource posted on X. That’s right, a 157 wRC+ since July 1st of 2025. That’s an asset right there.
Rice can hit lefties, he just needs a chance to get going against them. An opportunity to get into a rhythm and get used to doing it on a consistent basis. And he’s not getting it.
There are some creative ways to get him more playing time. He could DH if the Yankees are willing to use Stanton in the outfield some nights, or he could catch if the team wants to give Austin Wells a breather behind the plate.
Rice Seeing Lefties Regularly Is In The Yankees’ Best Interests
We can’t blame Boone for trying to put together the best possible lineup to win every night. However, the Yankees could benefit from Rice getting looks at tough lefties all year, thinking about the postseason above all things.
Goldschmidt should play some, and that inevitably means stealing a few starts from Rice. But the Yankees shouldn’t sit the latter two days in a row when he’s one of the best hitters on the team.
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