The rush was electric. The first few weeks of the season felt like watching a bottle rocket fly — explosive, exciting, unsustainable.
That bottle rocket was Yankees‘ Ben Rice. And now, like most youngsters eventually do, he’s returning to Earth.
But he’s landing on solid ground.
The Yankees always expected Rice’s numbers to come back down. No one thought he’d be Barry Bonds forever. What mattered more was what his hot streak revealed — the raw ingredients of a serious long-term piece.
Now, with his average dipping and the strikeouts ticking up, we’re seeing both the ceiling and the learning curve.
Rice is hitting a still-impressive .255 with a .356 OBP and a .915 OPS, powered by eight home runs.
That’s not a fading star — it’s the early blueprint of a cornerstone.
Power metrics prove he’s no fluke
Some stats don’t lie, and Rice’s batted-ball data puts him in rare air.
He ranks in the 97th percentile or better in average exit velocity, barrel rate, and hard-hit percentage.
Those numbers scream sustainability.
Even as his recent production tapers off — he’s hitting .184/.295/.474 over the past two weeks — the damage on contact is obvious.
When Rice swings, the ball doesn’t just leave the bat, it explodes.
He’s struck out a bit more lately, with a 25.4% strikeout rate that sits in the 30th percentile. But unlike most young power hitters, Rice rarely chases pitches out of the zone.
That’s where the Yankees see something special brewing.
Why his future matters more than this slump
Rice is just 26 and has already carved out a role with the Yankees, even with Paul Goldschmidt on the roster.
Goldschmidt has been excellent on his $12.5 million deal, but he’s a short-term solution.
Once his contract expires at the end of the season, first base becomes Rice’s to own.
If Giancarlo Stanton intends to return as the Yankees’ designated hitter next year, the team can’t stash Rice there long-term.
That’s why giving him reps at first base this season — even sparingly — will be important. They need him to become more than just a power bat.
They need a two-way contributor. And with his plate discipline and strength, Rice has the tools to get there.
Don’t panic — this dip was always coming
The Yankees didn’t build their 2025 plan on the idea that Rice would be a .350 hitter.
They hoped he’d crush mistakes, walk at a decent clip, and hold his own defensively.
So far, he’s doing all that and more.
In fact, his patience at the plate — combined with his top-tier power — has helped the team weather Giancarlo Stanton’s absence without losing their thump.
Rice’s development will shape more than just this season. It could impact the lineup’s core for years.
Even now, he’s on pace to hit over 30 home runs, and his underlying numbers suggest that number could climb higher with more consistent contact.
The Yankees may have found their long-term slugger
If the early-season version of Rice was a lightning bolt, what we’re seeing now is the thunder that follows — heavier, steadier, still dangerous.
He’s proving that even during slumps, the damage he does is real. The Yankees can live with the strikeouts if he keeps punishing pitchers when they miss.
And if his glove keeps coming along, they might just have found their next everyday first baseman — and one of the more intimidating bats in the division.
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