The New York Yankees have already taken off in the 2025 season with three consecutive wins, including the two recent ones in the series against the Pittsburgh Pirates, to strengthen their position at the top of the American League East with a 6-2 record.
The Yankees thrashed the Pirates 10-4 on Saturday with two home runs from Trent Grisham, but there is one player who is attracting attention, Ben Rice, who in the role of designated hitter was placed second in the order to prepare the ground for Aaron Judge
As in Spring Training during the Grapefruit League, Rice has combined the two profiles to hit, and in the eight games so far this season, he is among the top MLB players with an average exit velocity of 100 mph, which has impressed his manager Aaron Boone, who acknowledged that “he’s tearing up the ball” and added that: “The quality of his at-bats and the consistency with which he hits”
Aaron Boone praises Ben Rice’s quality
Ben Rice’s numbers at the start of the Yankees season have him cemented as a hope to remain with an important place in Aaron Boone’s lineup, with a .320 batting average and a 1.073 OPS.
“I think it’s who he is, I think he’s a real hitter,” Boone said in words reported by the New York Post, where he acknowledged Rice‘s problems last season. “I would even add last year. I know he had some difficulties, but we also saw a lot of him. And the ability to hit with authority. That has only gotten better. Obviously, with how much he’s grown physically and with the experience he’s gained, I feel like right now he’s got a really quality at-bat.”
Rice’s debut in Major League Baseball in 2024 was powerful, even hitting three home runs in one game against the Boston Red Sox, but he later fell to Triple-A after striking out 39 times in 33 games and posting a .109 average.
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