New York Yankees infielder Ben Rice is essentially a lock to make the Opening Day roster after a hot spring. With Giancarlo Stanton out to begin the year, Rice figures to get a lot of reps at DH.
Yankees’ Ben Rice made big changes in the offseason
Rice showed a ton of promise upon his promotion last summer, including a three-homer game against the Boston Red Sox, but a prolonged period of struggles forced him back down to the minor leagues. It was clear that he had to make major changes to his mechanics to improve his hitting.
Rice revealed some other changes he underwent this offseason that he hopes will lead to better results in 2025, including a change in his diet and workout regimen.
“It was a personal decision. I just felt like I had some room to fill out,” Rice said. “Made sure to get after it in the weight room. Talked with Drew Weisberg, our dietician here. Just kind of looked at my diet, how I could enhance it. It was really just adding some more food in there.”
The Yankees will be relying on Rice to provide lineup protection
So far, it seems as though those changes have worked. He is hitting .278 with five home runs and a .943 OPS this spring and has had incredible exit velocities on balls hit in play. Clearly, he is seeing the ball as well as ever right now.
If he continues to hit with that kind of power in the regular season, he will fill in nicely in Stanton’s absence. The Yankees will need more power bats to provide proper lineup protection for Aaron Judge and Cody Bellinger, and Rice could serve as an important bat in the middle of their lineup.
The Yankees lineup will look much different this season after Juan Soto’s departure. However, if Rice can turn in a big 2025 campaign, the loss of Soto won’t feel as significant. Opening Day is set for Thursday, March 27 at Yankee Stadium.