Ben Rice Leads Yankees With .300 Average and 17 Home Runs

Ben Rice Leads Yankees With .300 Average and 17 Home Runs

New York Yankees first baseman Ben Rice is posting one of the most productive offensive seasons in the American League in 2026, leading the club in ten statistical categories including batting average (.300), OPS (1.031) and RBIs (44) through the first weeks of the campaign.

Rice, 27, ranks second in MLB in slugging percentage (.638), OPS (1.031), OPS+ (184) and weighted on-base percentage (.435), according to FanGraphs. He has recorded hits in 40 of his games this season, with 16 multi-hit outings and five games of three or more hits. His 17 home runs place him level with Yankees superstar and three-time AL MVP Aaron Judge for the team lead, and tied with Atlanta Braves first baseman Matt Olson for fifth in the sport. His 2.7 offensive WAR is tied for seventh in MLB, per FanGraphs.

Rice’s raw contact quality supports the offensive output. His 92.3 mph average exit velocity ranks in the 90th percentile of MLB, his 50.7% hard-hit rate in the 91st percentile and his 17.1% barrel percentage in the 95th percentile, according to Statcast. At his current home-run pace, Rice – who has made 34 starts at first base and appeared in 19 games as designated hitter – projects to surpass the single-season franchise record for Yankees first basemen, which Tino Martinez set at 44 home runs in 1997.

Rice and the Yankees are scheduled to face the Boston Red Sox at Yankee Stadium on Saturday, with first pitch set for 7:35 p.m. ET on FOX and the FOX Sports app.