In today’s age of using analytics and underlying metrics to determine player value, it’s possible to find great value in unassuming places. Perhaps the best recent example of this can be found in New York Yankees first baseman/catcher Ben Rice, who is quickly becoming a secret weapon for the team. The 26-year-old is in his first full season with New York after a mediocre albeit short debut last year, highlighted by a three-homer game against the Boston Red Sox. Though Rice’s slash line is a respectable .243/.331/.478, his OPS should actually sit somewhere around 1.000 (that is, if he wasn’t a victim of some horrible luck).
Ben Rice is the Yankees’ Secret Weapon
Rice Rice, Baby
Through 121 games thus far, Rice has 23 homers, 54 RBI, and 64 runs. However, these counting stats don’t do him justice whatsoever. According to Baseball Savant , Rice has a batting run value of 17, making him one of the top 50 hitters in MLB this season, sandwiched right between teammate Jazz Chisholm Jr. and Christian Yelich. What’s more, his xwOBA, xBA, xSLG, average exit velocity, hard hit percentage, and barrel percentage are all in the 95th percentile or better. Now, what does this all mean? In short, it means that Rice has been one of the best hitters in the league this season, and that he’s had some horrible luck that has skewed his counting stats.
BEN RICE 3-RUN BLAST! YANKS TAKE AN EARLY 3-0 LEAD! pic.twitter.com/DyoG208kIo
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Top Offense
As a result, the Yankees arguably boast the league’s top offensive unit. They lead all teams in homers, outpacing the second-place Seattle Mariners by 33, and they also lead the league in runs, walks, and OPS. This has also resulted in many of Rice’s teammates overshadowing him, and not just the four former MVPs on the roster; guys like Chisholm and even Trent Grisham have gotten much more attention not only from the media but from opposing teams and pitchers as well.
Come October, this could very well work in the Yankees’ favor. It also doesn’t hurt that Rice can play both first base and catcher, giving manager Aaron Boone plenty of options to slot the Dartmouth alum into the lineup. What’s more, Rice does not struggle to hit left-handed pitching. Although his batting average against left-handers this season is currently .202, his OPS against them is .720. The Yankees do tend to make lineup decisions based on handedness and similar analytics, but there are no excuses for Rice to be out of the lineup in the postseason.
Not a Bust(?)
Assuming that the Yankees don’t go on a losing spree and miss out on the postseason, it’s safe to assume that Rice will be a big part of their push for a second straight American League pennant, as well as the future of the team. Though skeptics may criticize him and cite players like Greg Bird and Miguel Andujar, who started off their Yankee careers spectacularly but could never amount to anything more than a platoon player, Rice’s case is completely different.
Even last season, when he was struggling more often than not, his underlying stats suggested that he had a lot going for him already. He has elite bat speed and plate discipline, especially for a player in his second year, and he has already improved drastically from his rookie year. The Yankees should be very excited about their first baseman of the future.
