Ben Rice was one of the 25 best hitters in the sport last season which is why the Yankees have stated publicly that they want him to get everyday reps.
Despite that messaging throughout the offseason, reports as of late have come out indicating that the club is looking for a right-handed hitter for their bench, with first basemen such as Paul Goldschmidt and Ty France on their radar.
It would seem a little odd for the Yankees to be swimming in these waters given their excellent first baseman, high payroll, and increasingly small number of roster spots left to use on a position player.
Depending on how they plan on using said first baseman, this could end up being the best offensive upgrade they could make for this roster in matchups against lefties, and it might be why they’re still looking for one.
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How the Yankees Could Form An Elite Lineup Against Left-Handed Pitching
The Yankees presumably have two offensive holes in their lineup against left-handed pitching, with Trent Grisham and Austin Wells being the two hitters the team presumably wants to sit more in these matchups.
While Wells had a higher OPS against southpaws last season, it is Grisham who would likely provide a better at-bat versus a lefty based on 2025 and both of their careers.
Trent Grisham had an .805 Expected OPS while Austin Wells had a .642 Expected OPS in 2025, and if you look at the left-handed hitting outfielder’s career wRC+ versus lefties (103), he’s proven to be a slightly above-average bat.
Based on that information you could reasonably conclude that the offense has more to gain by sitting Wells in matchups against lefties than if they sat Grisham, which is where a first baseman comes into the fold.
A right-handed first baseman could push Ben Rice to catcher against lefties, where he was a slightly above-average bat last season and would deepen this lineup more than Austin Wells would.
Ben Rice had -2 Fielding Run Value in 229.2 innings at catcher, but I think he could definitely improve on that production if his framing trends upwards in 2026.
The Yankees still have J.C. Escarra on the roster so if Austin Wells needs a day or Ben Rice needs a day, he could get a start and give Aaron Boone insurance if he has to swap Rice out as a defensive substitution late in a game.
Paul Goldschmidt would be my first pick due to his excellent offensive track record against lefties, I know the OPS in those matchups dipped after June but I attribute that more to poor luck than a regression in skills.
Another option that the Yankees are considering is Ty France, who had poor luck last year against lefties despite the excellent underlying numbers in those matchups.
There’s a bit of logic to both players here; France is a good pull if you believe in the underlying data and defensive profile since he likely won’t get much more than the one-year $1 million he received last winter.
As for Goldschmidt, he’s an elite hitter against lefties who still has a solid glove and might not get an opportunity to start anywhere, maybe the Diamondbacks are able to offer that kind of role to France.
The biggest concern I’d have is with downgrading your defense at third base and behind the plate, but the Yankees seem to really value first base defense.
You could argue that having Goldschmidt or France while Rosario is at third base is valuable given how poor of an infield defender the former shortstop is, and by keeping Cody Bellinger in left field they have a strong outfield defense still.
It all comes down to whether the team trusts Ben Rice to catch; I don’t want someone coming in and taking reps away from him at first base because I think he has a chance to be a real star.
If the Yankees are looking to reduce Ben Rice’s playing time then I want a fourth outfielder, but if they’re willing to let him catch against lefties, a first baseman makes more sense to me.