NEW YORK -- The recent decision to install Ben Rice at the top of the batting order proved an easy call for Yankees manager Aaron Boone, who offered a succinct explanation when quizzed on his reasoning: “He’s killing the ball.” Rice has carried the promise of a strong spring into the season’s first few weeks, belting his fourth home run in Saturday’s 8-4 victory over the Giants. That ball was scorched into the right-field seats at 113.2 mph, representing a career best for the 25-year-old Rice, who has been delivering hard contact frequently thus far. The biggest thing is, when you move to a certain spot in the order, you’re probably there for a reason,” Rice said. “So I think the biggest thing is to not really change too much. … It’s just having a convicted approach every time you’re up to the plate; just trust myself, trust the instincts.” Though Rice said he tries not to pay attention to the statistical leaderboards -- “You’ve just got to continue to be in the present,” he said -- his quick left-handed stroke is beginning to earn recognition around the league. |
Rice entered play on Sunday leading the Majors in hard-hit percentage (72.4 percent) and ranking second in average exit velocity (97.9 mph). Only the Orioles’ Gunnar Henderson (99.5 mph) had a higher average exit velocity. Put simply, Rice is barreling the ball often – and generally speaking, when that happens, good results tend to follow. “It’s the same thing we saw in the spring; it hasn’t really changed,” Cody Bellinger said. “He’s just locked into his plan, locked into his approach. He’s a guy that hits the ball extremely hard, and it’s very fun to watch. It’s very impressive.” With help from Paul Goldschmidt and Austin Wells, Yankees leadoff hitters have combined for an MLB-best 1.128 OPS entering play Sunday, a drastic improvement from their .687 OPS (26th in MLB) last season. As Bellinger alluded, Rice garnered attention from the coaching staff this spring both for his brimming confidence and a bulked-up frame. Officially listed at 6-foot-2 and 220 pounds, Rice said he added about 10 pounds dating back to last June, crediting an improved diet that focused heavily on chicken and (naturally) rice. “I definitely noticed, but it wasn’t like, ‘Whoa!’” Boone said. “He was a big kid last year, too. He’s still very lean; it seems like really good weight. He definitely seemed more physical, but it wasn’t like, ‘Whoa, did you see Ben Rice?’” Indeed, the organization felt these building blocks were already in place for Rice, a 12th-round pick in the 2021 MLB Draft out of Dartmouth. Last July 6, Rice became the first Yankees rookie to hit three home runs in a game, doing so in a win over the Red Sox. |
Though Boone lauded Rice for exhibiting a “slow heartbeat” and knowledge of the strike zone in those early contests, the league made adjustments to Rice, who finished the year batting .171 with seven homers and 23 RBIs in 50 games. Rice’s offseason efforts to address those deficiencies are paying dividends now, a welcome development for a Yankees lineup that remains without the presence of designated hitter Giancarlo Stanton for the foreseeable future. “I think it’s who he is. I think he’s a real hitter,” Boone said of Rice. “I’d even add last year in there, too; I know he had some struggles there, but we saw a lot of good in there, the ability to hit the ball with authority. I think that’s only grown with how much he’s grown physically and just gaining from that experience. He’s a high-quality at-bat right now.” |
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MLB MORNING LINEUP PODCAST |
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Clarke Schmidt is scheduled to make his season debut as the Yankees continue their homestand this week, welcoming the Kansas City Royals to town for a three-game series. For information, please visit Yankees.com/tickets. Today: RHP Carlos Carrasco (1-1, 7.71) vs. RHP Seth Lugo (1-1, 3.24) – 7:05 p.m. ET Tuesday: LHP Max Fried (2-0, 1.56) vs. RHP Michael Wacha (0-2, 4.20) – 7:05 p.m. ET Wednesday: RHP Clarke Schmidt (5-5, 2.85 ERA in 2024) vs. LHP Kris Bubic (2-1, 0.96) – 7:05 p.m. ET |
Will Warren earned his first Major League victory on Saturday against the Giants, limiting San Francisco to two runs over five innings. The right-hander said he’d been “waiting a while to get that one off the table.” It came in Warren’s eighth career start, having made his debut last July 30, when he made a spot start in place of Gerrit Cole at Philadelphia’s Citizens Bank Park. “I’ve learned a lot; been through a lot of tough outings,” Warren said. “But I think that’s what makes this one even sweeter. You learn from it, you move on and try to get better each day.” Warren leaned on his sinker and slider in the outing, which he said was attended by several family members, including his wife, Darby. Warren said he has benefited from talking shop with his teammates during his time in the big leagues. “There’s a lot of guys in this clubhouse you can lean on and learn information from, breaking down each outing every week,” Warren said. “I don’t know how much better I’ve gotten [since last July]; I think it’s still the same. I think it’s the process of knowing what to do, when to do it, and executing when you go out there.” |
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Who recorded the first hit at the current Yankee Stadium on April 16, 2009? A. Derek Jeter B. Johnny Damon C. Mark Teixeira D. Nick Swisher |
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THIS DATE IN YANKEES HISTORY |
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April 14, 1955: Elston Howard became the first Black player in Yankees history, making his Major League debut in the club’s 8-4 loss to the Red Sox at Fenway Park. |
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B. Johnny Damon After CC Sabathia set Cleveland down in order in the top of the first inning, Jeter flied out to bring up Damon, who ripped a single to right-center field off Cliff Lee for the first official hit at the new Yankee Stadium. |
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