Ben Rice

Active

New York Yankees · First Base

Age 276' 2" · 228 lbsBats Left

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.

MLB Hitting

Year	Team	G	AVG	HR	RBI	R	SB	OBP	SLG	OPS
2024	New York Yankees	50	.171	7	23	20	0	.264	.349	.613
2025	New York Yankees	138	.255	26	65	74	3	.337	.499	.836
2026	New York Yankees	85	.267	25	57	59	2	.360	.565	.925
Career	Totals	273	.245	58	145	153	5	.333	.497	.830

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

Minor League Hitting

Year	Team	G	AVG	HR	RBI	R	SB	OBP	SLG	OPS
2021	2 teams▼	22	.197	3	13	8	1	.345	.364	.709
2022	Tampa Tarpons	68	.267	9	36	32	4	.368	.442	.810
2023	3 teams▼	73	.324	20	68	62	11	.434	.615	1.049
2024	2 teams▼	79	.273	24	59	65	10	.400	.567	.967
Career	Totals	242	.282	56	176	167	26	.399	.536	.935

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

Game Log2026 season

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Analytics2026 season · via Baseball Savant

Click for year to year changes

EV Avg91.8 mph

Max EV110.9 mph

Launch Angle14.2°

Barrel %14.7%

K %23.6%

Hard Hit %46.3%

Whiff %24.9%

Chase %24.4%

xBA0.264

xSLG0.5

xwOBA0.37

GB%42.4%

LD%22.9%

FB%29.9%

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.

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.

LD% — Line drive rate. High LD% hitters make consistent hard contact; line drives are the batted ball type most likely to fall for hits and boost batting average.

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.

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Year

Team

AVG

RBI

OBP

SLG

OPS

2024

New York Yankees

.171

.264

.349

.613

2025

New York Yankees

138

.255

.337

.499

.836

2026

New York Yankees

.267

.360

.565

.925

Career

Totals

273

.245

145

153

.333

.497

.830

Year

Team

AVG

RBI

OBP

SLG

OPS

2021

2 teams▼

.197

.345

.364

.709

2022

Tampa Tarpons

.267

.368

.442

.810

2023

3 teams▼

.324

.434

.615

1.049

2024

2 teams▼

.273

.400

.567

.967

Career

Totals

242

.282

176

167

.399

.536

.935