Ben Rice’s playing time has been a topic of some consternation around these parts to the start the season. The 27-year-old has been some metrics the best hitter in baseball thus far, so it’s been frustrating to find him on the bench at times. But rather than ask the question of whether Rice should play every day (which, yeah, probably), perhaps we should be wondering about where Rice should play every day.
And by where, I don’t mean where on the diamond, but where in the batting order. Over the weekend, with the Yankees facing Royals lefty Cole Ragans, Aaron Boone slotted Rice into the leadoff slot in the order for the first time in 2026. Rice handled the assignment with aplomb, walking twice in front of Aaron Judge and hitting his eighth home run of the year.
Should the Yankees cut the shenanigans and just install Rice as their leadoff hitter? Sunday’s result offered a positive data point, but there’s more to the argument than just one strong game. Rice has excelled in the spot before, posting a .910 OPS in 23 games out of the leadoff slot in 2025, and even running an .864 OPS in ten starts as the leadoff hitter in his rookie 2024 campaign (though those figures are propped up a bit by his three-homer game against the Red Sox).
Moreover, the strategic implications of moving Rice into the leadoff spot are compelling. Putting Rice at the top and Aaron Judge at number two is an aggressive manuever that immediately puts pressure on the opposing pitcher. It’s becoming clearer by the day that Rice and Judge are the Yankees’ best hitters; why not ensure that they get the most at-bats, apply the most pressure on the opponent, and protect each other/give each other more opportunities to drive runs in?
The case against lies in keeping Rice’s potent power bat lower in the lineup. Rice has largely worked out of the cleanup spot in 2026, where he’s slugged .722 and driven in 11 runs in 11 games. Putting his name a little lower on the card gives probably gives him more chances to come up with a runner or two on, rather than giving him more chances to get on in front of Judge.
What do you think? Should the Yankees just put their best hitters at the top of the lineup and challenge their opponents to wade through them as many times as possible every night? Or should they take the more traditional route and keep Rice’s power bat closer to the heart of the order?
On the site today, Madison will handle the Rivalry Roundup for last night, and Peter’s entry in our Yankees Birthday series profiles pitcher Jimmy Key. Also, Andrés argues that Austin Wells has shown some promising signs during a nominally slow start, while Michael takes a look at slugger Munetaka Murakami, and wonders whether he provides a blueprint for Yankees prospect Spencer Jones.
Today’s Matchup
New York Yankees at Boston Red Sox
Time: 6:45 p.m. EST
Video: Amazon Prime Video, MLB Network, NESN
Venue: Fenway Park, Boston, MA
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