Why Yankees fans should still believe in Ben Rice after recent brutal slide

The Yankees have gotten incredible production from some very unexpected sources this season. Whether it be the emergence of Trent Grisham or the dominance of Ryan Yarbrough, the Bronx Bomber's "next man up" mentality has proven critical to the team's success. One of the most prominent examples of this is Ben Rice, who has broken out in a big way in 2025.

Rice, in his first full MLB season, is hitting .227 with 12 homers and a .771 OPS (down from .825 last week after a tough weekend at Fenway for everyone involved). He has solidified himself as a top-of-the-order bat, even being trusted to hit behind Aaron Judge and serve as his protection on occasion. He seems to succeed no matter where Aaron Boone puts him, even playing solid defense at first base on the days where he isn't serving as the DH.

The 26-year-old Rice now has a legitimate shot at the All-Star Game in Atlanta this year, and the underlying numbers show he should be even better going forward.

According to Baseball Savant, Ben Rice has an expected batting average of .294; a number over 60 points higher than his current batting average. He has, statistically speaking, been one of the unluckiest hitters in baseball this year. He has absolutely crushed the baseball, but he just doesn't get rewarded for it as much as he should.

To put it into perspective, only three players have a higher average exit velocity than Ben Rice this year: Oneil Cruz, Shohei Ohtani, and Aaron Judge. That is pretty elite company.

What's most impressive is how drastic a transformation Rice has made since last year, where he largely struggled. He did showcase glimpses of his talent, namely when he belted three home runs at Yankee Stadium in a blowout win over the Red Sox, but he looked nothing like the hitter he is now. He has turned into a true slugger who hits the ball incredibly hard, takes competitive at-bats, and comes up big when the team needs him to.

Rice has been so impressive that there will now be a selection dilemma for Aaron Boone upon Giancarlo Stanton's return, as he must try to find a way to fit both of them into the lineup.

It's a testament to Rice's performances that he is now talked about in the same light as Stanton, a former MVP and fan-favorite who is still revered as one of the game's most frightening power hitters.

Clearly, his popularity has not waned during his slump. Somewhat improbably, Rice ranked second in the American League in DH voting for the All-Star Game in the first ballot drop on Monday.

That is just how impressive the man we call Ben Arroz has been, and, if he continues to hit the ball as hard as he has been, his stats can only go one way: up.