Ben Rice survived Red Sox's best lefty punch in Game 1 and still made Yankees franchise history

Remember the early-season drama when Aaron Boone refused to put Ben Rice into the New York Yankees lineup against lefties? Thank goodness that's a thing of the past. Without Aaron Judge, the Yankees submitted a woefully underpowered lineup card, making it clear that not only were they banking on more Cam Schlittler dominance, but also that this is a roster with some real flaws.

Schlittler once again manhandled the Red Sox, but New York's lineup proved more formidable than most thought. One man in particular was responsible for the 9-0 bludgeoning of the Boston Red Sox. That man was Rice.

In fact, Rice did something in Game 1 of the AL Wild Card Series that no Yankee has ever done, despite the franchise's standing as the most winning team in North American professional sports. He made pinstriped history by becoming the first New York player to rack up four hits and six RBI in a single playoff game.

Rice actually did more than that. He also entered the MLB record books by becoming the first player to check the following boxes in a single game, regular season or postseason: hit multiple homers, hit a grand slam, account for all of his team's extra-base hits, and single-handedly outhit the opposition.

Going back to those April benchings against southpaws makes the feat even more incredible. Rice went 4-for-5 with two homers and a double, and save for the eighth-inning grand slam, all of that damage came against lefties.

Starter Payton Tolle became one of the game's top young lefties with a breakout 2026. Erik Miller, who surrendered Rice's first homer of the night, is on Boston's roster because he's death on lefties, allowing just a .195 average and a single homer to left-handed batters this season. Rice's OPS also drops 400 points between four-seamers and sinkers, Miller's trademark pitch. Finally, Alec Gamboa, another southpaw, surrendered Rice's seventh-inning RBI single that gave the Yankees a 3-0 cushion before they truly broke the game open.

Ben Rice announces superstar status in lefty-mashing drubbing during the Yankees' rout of the Red Sox

Despite a 41-homer campaign, the majority of which came without Judge's protection in the lineup, Rice hasn't garnered the MVP love befitting a player who hit .264/.363/.534 in the regular season and kept New York's offense from reaching abysmal levels of ineptitude for large swaths of the year.

Not only were the top-line numbers fantastic, but Rice proved to be the best clutch hitter in the majors this season, posting an MLB-leading 224 wRC+ in high-leverage situations.

For all the handwringing about the Yankees being without their superstar in Judge, folks have forgotten to realize that another one has bloomed in Rice. He proved last night that he can't be easily neutralized by lefties, which was the final hurdle to clear to truly announce his arrival.

Not only that, but postgame, he was asked by a reporter in Spanish what has changed in order for him to take his game to the next level. Rice didn't skip a beat and responded in Spanish that nothing has changed; it's just go in and work hard day in and day out, regardless of whether it's the regular season or the postseason. What a stud.

Game 1 marked Rice's coming-out party. Yankees fans, of course, knew how good the lefty slugger is, but putting on such a historic show in primetime for the world to see made one thing clear. Ben Rice is a superstar, and now the rest of the league knows it.

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