The New York Yankees have spent most of the season juggling their catching situation, searching for stability that just isn’t there right now.
Austin Wells was supposed to lock things down, but his bat has gone ice-cold and left glaring holes in the lineup.
Meanwhile, rookie JC Escarra continues to learn on the fly, trying to balance defensive growth with finding his offensive stride.
Manager Aaron Boone knows this is far from ideal, especially with October looming and every at-bat starting to feel more critical.
Ben Rice’s bat is too dangerous to keep glued to the bench
That’s why Ben Rice has suddenly become such an intriguing piece of this puzzle.
The Yankees simply can’t afford to let a hitter like Rice cool off on the bench.
He ranks in the 92nd percentile or better in average exit velocity, barrel rate, and hard-hit rate — numbers that jump off the page.
His .295 expected batting average and .575 expected slugging scream that he’s actually been unlucky, meaning bigger production could be right around the corner.
Yankees find creative ways to keep Rice’s bat in the lineup
Rice is hitting .229/.324/.471 this year with 14 homers, showing legit pop and advanced patience that the Yankees crave.
But with Giancarlo Stanton back and clogging the DH spot most nights, Boone has been forced to get more creative.
Rice can play first base, but Anthony Rizzo has been heating up, leaving catcher as the only realistic way to keep his bat in the lineup daily.
It’s not a perfect solution, but sometimes you need to live with growing pains on defense if it means adding a lethal bat.
Defensive risk is clear, but upside outweighs it for now
So far, Rice has caught only 101 pitches this season, so the Yankees are taking a gamble whenever they start him behind the plate.
His framing and blocking still lag behind Wells and Escarra, but his offense might be too good to ignore as the stretch run heats up.
In a playoff series, one extra homer or clutch hit can swing everything — it’s like having a secret weapon hiding at the bottom of the order.
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Boone will ride the hot bat while hoping the defense comes along
For now, Boone is trying to balance everything carefully, hoping Rice’s development as a catcher can keep pace with his explosive bat.
The Yankees can’t afford dead spots in their lineup, especially not with the division race tightening by the day.
If Rice continues crushing the ball, expect more games with him at catcher, even if it means holding your breath on passed balls.
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