Ben Rice’s numbers have cooled a bit lately, but the New York Yankees’ rising star still has some strong metrics under the surface.
When he pinch-hit in the seventh inning of Wednesday’s 1-0 win over the Angels on May 28 and lined out to second on a 94 mph rocket, he was hitting .244 with an .856 OPS — down from .288 with a 1.005 OPS on April 24. But the exit velocity tells a different story.
Heading into Wednesday’s game, Rice had an average exit velocity of 94.5 mph, which ranked seventh in the majors behind Rafael Devers, Matt Olson, Aaron Judge, Pete Alonso, Shohei Ohtani, and Oneil Cruz. While Rice continues to make strides on the field, his girlfriend is also doing big things in her own career.
Ben Rice Congratulates His Girlfriend on Social Media
Rice’s girlfriend, Sara Falkson, just graduated from Harvard University with a degree in design engineering. Rice gave her a public shoutout, posting a photo of her to his Instagram story with the caption, “Light work!! Congrats ♥️.”
While Rice celebrates off the field, the Yankees face a roster decision involving him and Giancarlo Stanton.
Rice vs. Stanton: Yankees Face Tough Decision
Stanton has battled injuries for much of his Yankees tenure, but when healthy, he’s been elite. He was the 2024 ALCS MVP, slugging seven homers with a 1.048 OPS and 16 RBIs during last year’s postseason. Now, he’s close to returning.
“The Yankees slugger will head to Tampa this week to take live batting practice “for the next two weeks,’ general manager Brian Cashman said Sunday, [May 25,] on MLB Network Radio, with a rehab assignment potentially following,” wrote Greg Joyce of Stanton pending return to the field.
That puts pressure on the Yankees to find space for both players.
Rice, 26, is slashing .242 with 11 home runs and continues to hit the ball hard. It would be tough to justify bumping him from the lineup at this point. If nothing else, the Yankees may need to get creative, especially since Stanton will likely return as a full-time designated hitter.
Manager Aaron Boone has handled a similar juggling act before, once saying this when asked about DJ LeMahieu and Rice: “When we get to a situation if we’ve got to get a little more creative with things, we’ll do that.” He might need the same approach with Stanton and Rice.
The Yankees are preparing for a test: a three-game series with the Los Angeles Dodgers, a 2024 World Series rematch. New York could use all the help it can get.