When Will Warren delivered the primary pitch of a June 27 house matchup towards the Athletics, it was not Austin Wells on the receiving finish. Nor was it the Yankees’ common reserve catcher, J.C. Escarra. On at the present time, it was Ben Rice occupying the No. 2 place.
It was not the primary time that Rice had donned the catcher’s masks and chest protector within the huge leagues, and it wouldn’t be the final, both. The Twelfth-round select of Dartmouth in 2021 has develop into one thing of a Swiss Military knife for the Yankees. Not a utility participant, thoughts you, however nonetheless valuably versatile, the 26-year-old has made contributions irrespective of the place he has been requested to play.
Add to that an early energy surge from the DH place and the truth that Rice is continuous a means of studying first base that began in his rookie season, and 2025 has been a yr of progress for the left-handed hitter from Cohasset, Mass. However it doesn’t matter what position Rice is requested to deal with when he punches in for the day’s work, his mentality has stayed the identical all through.
“You’ve acquired to maintain going day-after-day,” Rice says. “On daily basis you get higher. That’s all it’s.”
Change is fixed within the recreation of baseball. For Rice, change was a outstanding theme this spring. With slugging designated hitter Giancarlo Stanton set to overlook the beginning of the season as a consequence of proper and left elbow epicondylitis, one of many first gamers the Yankees turned to was Rice, who took on the DH position within the season opener towards Milwaukee.
Rice says the objective was by no means to fill the sneakers of the Main Leagues’ lively house run chief however to be himself and assist the group nonetheless he may.
“Simply take it at some point at a time,” Rice says. “You don’t must go on the market and be one thing you’re not. Simply go on the market and put together for every day and do one of the best you’ll be able to to assist the group win.”
It’s protected to say the strategy labored. By means of the tip of April, Rice batted .266 with eight house runs and 13 RBIs whereas making 22 appearances because the Yankees’ DH. The spotlight of that early season stretch was a two-home run efficiency in a 15-3 street win towards Baltimore on April 29.
Rice’s means to learn pitches and hit for energy have made a giant impression on his coaches.
“He’s harmful,” Yankees hitting coach James Rowson says. “Benny’s acquired energy, however he’s additionally a great hitter. He lays off balls out of the zone. He makes it robust on opposing pitchers to get him out, and once you’ve acquired lots of guys in your lineup that may do this, it creates a extremely good synergy within the lineup. Benny’s part of creating that synergy for us.”
Rice adopted up the early season surge with three homers in Might and one other three in June, as he went into the All-Star break with 14 homers, tied for fifth on a Yankees group that was main the Majors with 151 lengthy balls.
After an up-and-down debut 2024 season — he turned the primary Yankees rookie to provide a three-home run recreation, however batted simply .171 with a .613 OPS in 50 video games — Rice wanted to point out enchancment. In his second yr with the group, Rice was hitting .235 with a .791 OPS on the All-Star break, with 31 of his 62 hits going for further bases. He additionally seemingly took over Anthony Rizzo’s position because the group’s fearless chief in getting hit by pitches, with 9 — 4 greater than every other Yankee.
It’s clear there was progress, however not a complete lot has modified by way of Rice’s strategy on the plate.
“Total, I nonetheless go into every at-bat with a plan, attempt to get my pitch within the zone and drive it,” Rice says. “I believe having extra expertise from final yr beneath my belt helps rather a lot.”
Getting reps is significant on the huge league stage. The extra hitters have, the higher they have an inclination to get. Rowson says Rice has put within the work to associate with that have, which has equaled extra success on the plate.
“A credit score to him, it’s his work,” Rowson says. “Final yr when he got here in, it was his first yr and he was seeing all people for the primary time, however he additionally acquired an opportunity to play right here and see what issues he ought to work on. I believe he actually labored on some issues within the offseason, caught along with his plan. That very same plan and work that he did within the offseason simply form of transferred and retains going via the yr.”
When Rice was requested to step in at catcher this season, he didn’t accomplish that with out expertise in that position. Whereas his Main League resume comprised only one inning — he caught Tim Hill within the backside of the ninth in a 16-5 win at Toronto on June 28, 2024 — most of his time within the Minors was spent behind the plate.
It’s arguably his finest place. All through his stand up the Minor League ladder, Rice made 121 appearances at catcher. So, the transition to taking part in the place this season was knowledgeable by that prior expertise.
The Yankees and Rice have each achieved their half to ensure he’s prepared when known as upon. Whereas the abilities are there, the main target has been on getting Rice as a lot dwell recreation motion and apply as doable.
“We’re attempting to actually construct and handle quantity greater than any particular talent growth,” says Yankees discipline coordinator and catching coach Tanner Swanson. “I believe Ben’s a really expert, dynamic catcher. I believe it’s his pure place and the one he’s most likely essentially the most snug with by way of the expertise.”
Swanson says Rice has been taking part in bullpens and simulating throwing to the bases in practices — precious alternatives whereas Wells and Escarra maintain down the vast majority of in-game motion.
“The most important factor is to simply catch as a lot dwell pitching as doable,” Rice says. “As a result of in case you’re simply catching off the machine, you’re not going to have the ability to regulate to arms within the recreation. Taking good care of that as a lot as I can helps me be a little bit bit extra ready after I get thrown in there.”
Off the sphere, Rice has been as current as doable in taking over the catching obligations, studying all he may since arriving at Spring Coaching having added 10 kilos of muscle in the course of the winter.
“He’s concerned in all of the conferences and has been from Day 1,” Swanson says. “He’s been actually dedicated to our advance course of and simply understanding our pitchers and the way they assault hitters. He’s been actually diligent on that entrance, though the sport reps are fairly restricted. I really feel like he’s tremendous ready. If requested to enter a recreation, he’s in a great place.”
By means of mid-July, Rice had appeared in 11 video games as a catcher, together with 4 begins, and had not been charged with an error or a handed ball in 39 2/3 innings of labor on the place. He availed himself nicely in his first begin behind the plate, throwing out Logan O’Hoppe for his first caught stealing in a June 18 street matchup towards the Los Angeles Angels. And as he has gotten extra alternatives, resembling beginning once more in that 3-0 win towards the Athletics on June 27, Rice has strengthened his coaches’ perception in his versatility and what that brings to the group.
“It simply offers us extra flexibility,” Swanson says. “He offers [Aaron Boone] extra flexibility, lineup-wise, to handle a number of the challenges we’ve — good challenges — with an abundance of fine gamers. Discovering methods to get him into the lineup through behind the plate simply strengthens our lineup on the whole and provides Boonie one other avenue to get him in there.”
One other facet of that versatility, and maybe an underrated talent, is Rice’s means to talk Spanish. With a variety of Spanish-speaking pitchers on the roster, it has come in useful after they have wanted to strategize collectively.
“It’s robust to know it typically after they’re going too quick,” Rice says with a chuckle. “However I can communicate it fairly nicely. So, with the ability to have that instrument in my belt positively helps as a result of there are such a lot of totally different gamers we’ve from totally different international locations who might not communicate English as nicely, or even when they do communicate English nicely, you continue to would possibly have the ability to get via to them a little bit simpler in case you communicate their very own language. Having that means as a catcher is essential.”
Only one recreation after Rice debuted because the Yankees’ beginning DH to kick off the season, he placed on one other hat, refamiliarizing himself with first base. Throughout his rookie yr, 49 of Rice’s 50 appearances got here at first base, with 41 of them being begins.
Whereas his first begin of this season at first can be a little bit beneath every week later towards Arizona on April 3, Rice additionally had some Minor League expertise on the place, taking part in 66 video games there.
Nonetheless, day-after-day is a brand new studying expertise.
“First base, clearly it’s nonetheless a comparatively new place to me,” Rice says. “Final yr, I had huge league expertise up there, however by way of my entire profession, I’ve been principally a catcher. So, I’m nonetheless making changes over there, engaged on it day-after-day. It’s the identical factor: You’ve simply acquired to maintain seeing balls off the bat, get on the market and get as a lot expertise as you’ll be able to.”
The work he has put in has not gone unnoticed, as Rice has achieved every thing requested of him on the subject of taking part in first base.
“I acquired to see him final yr when he was up right here; totally different circumstances as we had been asking him to study a brand new place,” Swanson says. “In that case, he was primarily figuring out at first base, however to see the arrogance develop from final yr to this yr, I believe he’s coming into his personal and believes that he belongs at this stage. He has the flexibility to have success at this stage.
“I believe the longer he’s round, the extra he has realized that he belongs, which I believe is essential. That confidence is essential on this recreation given how a lot you fail. However I believe he really, at his core, places within the work.”
Regardless of when he’s known as on or the place he’s requested to play, Rice stays prepared. In his second season, he has continued to make strides in video games whereas practising at a number of positions. There may be now a way of familiarity that has helped Rice thrive in 2025 and will propel him going ahead.
“I’m simply extra snug,” Rice says. “Extra snug, confidence-wise, being round for 2 huge league Spring Trainings. I’ve acquired the expertise from final yr, so I believe being a little bit extra snug, a little bit extra assured within the surroundings helps.”
Every day, Rice is gaining extra expertise and dealing exhausting. He says his major objective is to attain the one factor that’s at all times on the high of each Yankees’ to-do record.
“Win a World Sequence.”
Robert Hudson is a publications assistant with Yankees Journal. This story seems within the August 2025 version. Get extra articles like this delivered to the doorstep by buying a subscription to Yankees Journal at www.yankees.com/publications.
