The Major League Baseball season is underway, and storylines are beginning to emerge.
One of the biggest storylines for the New York Yankees is the breakout of Ben Rice. Rice was already great last season, but in 2026, he’s elevated his play.
All-Star Potential
MLB.com’s Bryan Hoch is calling for Yankees fans to believe in Rice’s breakout, suggesting he is a future All-Star. Hoch envisions Rice as a lefty-hitting counterpart to Aaron Judge.
“Yankees: Ben Rice is a future All-Star,” Hoch writes. “The next step in Rice’s development will come with increased opportunities against left-handed pitching.”
Rice’s Performance So Far
Rice had a .255 batting average and an .836 OPS across 138 games last season. While a great year, there was still room for improvement.
He is currently hitting .339 with a 1.242 OPS to begin the season. Rice already has seven homers and 17 RBIs with six doubles this season.
While it’s only been 20 games, with limited playing time against lefty pitching, Rice has dominated this season. His production has been extensive enough to believe in.
Limited Opportunities
There is one issue: his chances against left-handed pitching. Aaron Boone has held Rice back from getting reps against lefties. While those chances are sure to come at some point, Yankees fans are running out of patience.
Rice, the 27-year-old slugger, looks to be a future All-Star even if he’s not playing every game as a starter. He’s one of the best hitters in baseball this season, and his breakout is one Yankees fans should believe in. Rice is actually this good.