Is Ben Rice Worthy of His Rising Price Tag in Drafts?
New York Yankees first baseman/catcher Ben Rice had a breakout season in 2025, slashing .255/.337/.499 with 26 home runs, 65 RBI, 74 runs scored, and three stolen bases across 530 plate appearances. The 27-year-old's underlying metrics fully supported his emergence, as he posted excellent barrel (15.4%) and hard-hit rates (55.8%). Rice is expected to be the Yankees' primary first baseman in 2026. Additionally,
Rice also started 36 games behind the plate for the Yankees in 2025, giving him catcher eligibility across all fantasy formats in 2026 and massively boosting his value. However, New York also re-signed veteran first baseman Paul Goldschmidt over the offseason, which could eat into Rice's playing time against left-handed pitching. Rice posted a respectable .752 OPS against lefties in 2025, but Goldschmidt mashed southpaws to a .981 OPS. If Rice ends up sitting against left-handed starters, he may not end up logging enough playing time to fully justify his rising cost in drafts.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Read More News
RADIO



