New York Yankees first baseman/designated hitter Ben Rice is off to a fantastic start in his first full season in pinstripes. The left-handed slugger is batting .300 with five home runs and a 1.097 OPS and could be in for a big season.
Yankees’ Aaron Boone impressed with Ben Rice’s start to the season
Yankees manager Aaron Boone sees the growth that Rice is experiencing and offered high praise to his young first baseman.
“I think it’s who he is. I think he’s a real hitter,” Boone said via MLB.com’s Bryan Hoch. “I’d even add last year in there, too; I know he had some struggles there, but we saw a lot of good in there, the ability to hit the ball with authority. I think that’s only grown with how much he’s grown physically and just gaining from that experience. He’s a high-quality at-bat right now.”
Rice first came up to the majors last season when Anthony Rizzo went down with an injury, and he started with a torrid power stretch that included a three-homer game against the Red Sox. However, he mightily struggled after that and finished his rookie campaign hitting just .171 with seven home runs.
Rice has taken full advantage of his opportunity this season
He made changes to his diet and workout regimen this offseason in hopes that it would lead to better on-field results. So far, the changes have worked, as he earned a spot on the active roster after a great Spring Training and is taking advantage of the opportunity he has been given.
He has been the team’s everyday designated hitter while Giancarlo Stanton remains on the shelf with injuries to his elbows, but if he continues to hit like this, the Yankees will have tough decisions to make. It is hard to justify taking Rice’s bat out of the lineup at the moment, especially since he is hitting well against both lefties and righties.
Nevertheless, it is a good problem to have and Rice is quickly emerging as a key piece of this Yankees lineup. He will look to continue his hot stretch on Tuesday when he and the Yankees take on the Kansas City Royals.