Alexander Wilson
The New York Yankees lost 7-1 to the Angels on Tuesday and the offense was completely nonexistent again. Aaron Boone elected to give Ben Rice the night off against a left-handed starter, and while the platoon logic is understandable on paper, the reality is the Yankees are a worse offensive team every time Rice is not in the lineup and they’re at a point in the season where they can’t afford that.
When asked about it after the game, Boone framed it as a luxury. “Having the ability to cherry-pick when I fire Benny Rice in a big spot, I like that,” he said. That sounds nice. It also does not reflect what actually happened Tuesday, which was Rice coming in as a pinch hitter with the Yankees already down seven runs. That is not cherry-picking a big spot. That is deploying one of your best hitters in a moment that had already been decided.
What Rice’s Numbers Actually Say
His numbers this season make the decision to bench him look increasingly questionable. Over 16 games, Rice is hitting .362/.500/.745 with four homers, 13 RBIs, and a 241 wRC+. He ranks in the 98th percentile or better in barrel rate, average exit velocity, and hard hit rate. His walk rate is in the 99th percentile at 23%. Those are numbers that belong in a lineup every single day, left-handed starter or not.
Yes, his splits against lefties are not as strong, and over just 12 plate appearances against them this season, he’s hitting .273 without the same power production. But he’s still making contact at a solid rate and the underlying quality metrics remain elite regardless of which hand is throwing. A player ranking in the 98th percentile in hard-hit rate does not suddenly become a liability because the pitcher is left-handed. He becomes slightly less dangerous, which is still considerably more dangerous than most alternatives Boone has available.
The strikeout rate at 29% is a bit elevated and worth monitoring as the season progresses, but the sample is only 16 games. That number will normalize, and when it does, Rice is going to look like one of the better offensive players in the American League.
The Bigger Issue With the Platoon Logic
The Yankees’ offense has been struggling significantly outside of Rice and a few others. When you have a player hitting .362 with a 241 wRC+ and you’re choosing to sit him so he’s available to pinch hit in a game you’ve already lost, something has gone wrong with the process. Boone has the right instinct in wanting to protect Rice against left-handed pitching to maximize his impact, but the execution on Tuesday was backwards. You don’t cherry-pick a big spot and then send him up with the team down six.
Not to mention, the Yankees are using Rice as an everyday first baseman. He was handed the starting job this spring because the organization believes in what he can do on a daily basis. Treating him as a platoon piece when the lineup is already underperforming at multiple spots doesn’t make this team better. It just moves the problem around.
Rice should be getting four or five at-bats every night. Full stop. The Yankees need every run they can manufacture right now, and their best producer should not be watching from the dugout because of a statistical tendency that a 27-year-old with his contact quality can work around.
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