Alexander Wilson
The New York Yankees finished off the Kansas City Royals with a commanding performance on Sunday afternoon following a rain delay, winning comfortably behind seven hits and 10 walks while launching three home runs.
Cole Ragans gave up seven earned runs and eight walks in 4.1 innings, and the Yankees made him pay for every single one of them. Aaron Judge hit a two-run shot in the first to get things going, Ben Rice connected for a solo homer in the second after being moved to the leadoff spot for the first time this season, and Trent Grisham added another one to cap off a sweep that pushes New York’s record to 13-9 and puts them a half game ahead of the Tampa Bay Rays at the top of the American League East.
The Mets Are Not Doing Well
While the Yankees were piling on in Kansas City, Mets fans were apparently losing their minds online over a stat that, honestly, deserves more attention than it’s getting. Aaron Judge and Ben Rice have combined for 17 home runs to start the 2026 season. The entire New York Mets roster has 16. The Mets currently rank 27th in baseball in home runs, ahead of only the Marlins, Red Sox, and Giants, and they’re in the middle of one of the worst losing streaks in franchise history at 11 straight losses.
I’m not in the business of kicking a team when they’re down, but that comparison is genuinely remarkable. Two players, on one team, have outpaced the home run total of a team that spent heavily in free agency and was supposed to compete in the National League. The difference in how the two New York clubs have started 2026 could not be more pronounced.
Rice at the Top of the Order
Moving Rice to leadoff is a conversation worth having more seriously. He contributed two walks and a homer on Sunday from the top spot, which is exactly the kind of on-base production you want from a leadoff hitter. Rice ranks in the 96th percentile or better in barrel rate, hard-hit rate, and walk rate. Those skills play at the top of the order just as well as anywhere else in the lineup, and getting him more plate appearances per game would only help an offense that is clearly at its best when he’s active.
Boone has said he likes the flexibility to move Rice around the lineup, and I understand that. But when a player with his profile puts up two walks and a homer in his first game at leadoff, the conversation earns more than one afternoon of consideration.
What’s Next
The Yankees head to Boston for a three-game series starting Tuesday night against a Red Sox club that is struggling offensively and sitting below .500. It’s a winnable series and a chance to extend the lead at the top of the division. 13-9 with a half-game cushion is a good place to be heading into late April.
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