Ben Rice

Active

New York Yankees · Designated Hitter

Age 276' 2" · 228 lbsBats Left

#28 Current#51 Preseason#18 Dynasty

FBaseball Overview

Rice enters 2026 as a complementary power source in the Yankees lineup, offering mid-20s home run upside with modest counting stats anchored by modest batting average. His 2025 campaign demonstrated 26-homer pop over a full season, though his .255 average and inability to generate stolen bases limits ceiling in batting average and speed categories. The 27-year-old's role remains contingent on Yankees roster construction and injury circumstances, making him a bench bat or late-round flier dependent on whether he earns consistent at-bats. Fantasy managers should view Rice as a speculative play for power upside rather than a reliable source of multiple categories.

News Updates

Ben Rice excels with 3-for-3, 2-walk performance
Yankees catcher Ben Rice went 3-for-3 with two walks and two runs scored in a 5-1 victory over the Padres. His consistent hitting and plate discipline have drawn comparisons from manager Aaron Boone to legendary Tony Gwynn.
Sep 6, 2026
Ben Rice homers for 31st time this season
New York Yankees catcher Ben Rice went 2-for-5 with his 31st home run of the season, a double, and an additional run scored in Sunday's 11-4 loss to the Phillies.
Jul 27, 2026
Ben Rice swinging hot with back-to-back homers
Ben Rice homered twice in the Yankees' victory at Tampa Bay, including his 27th and 28th home runs of the season. The catcher is heating up as the All-Star break approaches and has impressed enough to consider participating in the Home Run Derby.
Jul 10, 2026

MLB Hitting

Year	Team	G	PA	AB	AVG	HR	RBI	R	SB	K	OBP	SLG	OPS
2024	New York Yankees	50	178	152	.171	7	23	20	0	48	.264	.349	.613
2025	New York Yankees	138	530	467	.255	26	65	74	3	100	.337	.499	.836
2026	New York Yankees	139	597	517	.257	36	88	90	3	148	.353	.520	.873
Career	Totals	327	1305	1136	.245	69	176	184	6	296	.335	.489	.824

Source: MLB Stats API · Multi-team seasons show combined totals — click to expand

Minor League Hitting

Year	Team	G	PA	AB	AVG	HR	RBI	R	SB	K	OBP	SLG	OPS
2021	2 teams▼	22	84	66	.197	3	13	8	1	21	.345	.364	.709
2022	Tampa Tarpons	68	243	206	.267	9	36	32	4	41	.368	.442	.810
2023	3 teams▼	73	332	275	.324	20	68	62	11	62	.434	.615	1.049
2024	2 teams▼	79	356	289	.273	24	59	65	10	72	.400	.567	.967
Career	Totals	242	1015	836	.282	56	176	167	26	196	.399	.536	.935

Source: MLB Stats API · Multi-team seasons show combined totals — click to expand

Game Log2026 MLB

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Advanced Stats2026 season · via Baseball Savant

Click for year to year changes

EV Avg92.0 mph

Max EV110.9 mph

Launch Angle14.6°

Barrel %14.3%

K %24.7%

Hard Hit %48.6%

Sprint Speed26.8 ft/s

Bat Speed72.7 mph

Whiff %25.8%

Chase %25.2%

xBA0.267

xSLG0.510

xwOBA0.376

GB%40.5%

FB%31.6%

What These Stats Mean

EV Avg — Average exit velocity — how hard this batter hits the ball. Elite hitters (90+ mph) make consistently hard contact, driving better batting averages and more power.

Max EV — Peak exit velocity on the batter's hardest-hit ball this season. Signals raw power potential even without a high HR total yet.

Launch Angle — Average vertical angle of the ball off the bat. The sweet spot for extra-base hits is roughly 10–30°; extreme ground ball or pop-up hitters sit outside this range.

Barrel % — Percentage of batted balls hit with the optimal exit velocity + launch angle combo. Barrels are the single best predictor of home runs and slugging percentage.

K % — Strikeout rate per plate appearance. High K% suppresses batting average and limits run-scoring opportunities — lower is better for fantasy.

Hard Hit % — Percentage of batted balls hit 95 mph or harder. A broader power indicator than barrels; high hard-hit% players rack up extra-base hits and RBI.

Sprint Speed — Peak sprint speed in feet per second. The best predictor of stolen base upside and ability to leg out infield hits.

Bat Speed — Average swing speed at the point of contact. Faster bat speed lets hitters wait longer on pitches and generates more raw power potential.

Whiff % — Percentage of swings that miss. High whiff rates signal strikeout vulnerability, dragging down batting average and overall production.

Chase % — How often the batter swings at pitches outside the strike zone. Low chase rates mean elite plate discipline — more walks, fewer strikeouts, more consistent at-bats.

xBA — Expected batting average based on contact quality, stripping out luck and defensive positioning. Better predictor of future performance than actual batting average.

xSLG — Expected slugging based on batted ball data. A high xSLG relative to actual SLG suggests power suppressed by bad luck that's likely to bounce back.

xwOBA — Expected weighted on-base average — the most comprehensive single expected metric. Combines contact quality, walks, and strikeouts to project overall offensive production.

GB% — Ground ball rate. High GB% hitters trade home run power for speed-dependent value — good for stolen base upside, but a drag on HR and SLG categories.

FB% — Fly ball rate. Elite power hitters combine high FB% with high exit velocity. High fly ball rate + soft contact = home run or nothing type.

Loading player data...

Year

Team

AVG

RBI

OBP

SLG

OPS

2024

New York Yankees

178

152

.171

.264

.349

.613

2025

New York Yankees

138

530

467

.255

100

.337

.499

.836

2026

New York Yankees

139

597

517

.257

148

.353

.520

.873

Career

Totals

327

1305

1136

.245

176

184

296

.335

.489

.824

Year

Team

AVG

RBI

OBP

SLG

OPS

2021

2 teams▼

.197

.345

.364

.709

2022

Tampa Tarpons

243

206

.267

.368

.442

.810

2023

3 teams▼

332

275

.324

.434

.615

1.049

2024

2 teams▼

356

289

.273

.400

.567

.967

Career

Totals

242

1015

836

.282

176

167

196

.399

.536

.935