Whether at 1B or catcher, Rice ready to do whatever Yanks need

NEW YORK -- Ben Rice’s first season and a half in the Majors doubled as a crash course in the demands of a first baseman, complete with on-the-job training in areas like footwork, positioning and preparation.

As he looks ahead to 2026, Rice expects to continue that education at his adopted position, though his catching gear will never be far from reach.

“What’s been communicated to me so far is that I’ll be prioritizing the work over at first base, but also keeping the catching in the equation,” Rice said on the YES Network’s "Hot Stove" program. “I’m going to continue to work at both, and probably lean a little bit more towards first base for now.”

That aligns with comments manager Aaron Boone made during the Winter Meetings in December, when he said the Yankees “definitely see him as our first baseman,” but that scenarios where Rice could strap on the shin guards will be “still very much in play.”

“We’ll see as we go into Spring Training what makes the most sense from getting the most out of him,” Boone said. “I think it’s an important skill that he possesses that you don’t necessarily want to go away, because he is capable back there.

“Even if that turns into being the No. 2 catcher or having that flexibility of having a third catcher on the roster, there’s some real value in that, too.”

At present, the Yankees’ catching tandem is expected to be Austin Wells and J.C. Escarra, though general manager Brian Cashman said it would be ideal to add a right-handed-hitting catcher. Including Rice, all of the club’s internal options swing left-handed.

But the Yankees have no complaints about Rice’s bat, forecasting big things to come from the slugger, who will turn 27 on Feb. 22. Rice batted .255/.337/.499 with 28 doubles, 26 homers and 65 RBIs in 138 games last season, with 58 of his 119 hits going for extra bases.

Rice also ranked among the league’s best in advanced categories like average exit velocity (95th percentile), barrel rate (92nd percentile) and hard-hit percentage (97th percentile). Some of his best swings went unrewarded, a matter of luck that the Yankees expect will normalize with more opportunities.

“I don’t know if I’d say I had a better year than the numbers show, because the numbers are the numbers, right?” Rice said. “But I think definitely just being focused on the process, day in and day out, was a big focus for me -- just making sure that the at-bats were quality, the contact was quality. And if I just keep focusing on that, the results will eventually follow.”

Evaluating Rice’s season in December, Boone described “a fearsome left-handed, middle-of-the-order hitter,” adding, “This is who he is.”

Last season, the Yankees shifted into something of a platoon at first base, with Paul Goldschmidt taking most of the at-bats against left-handed pitching.

With Goldschmidt now a free agent and not expected to return, Rice said he’s looking forward to showing growth against lefties, against whom he has batted just .189 (27-for-143) with a .683 OPS in the Majors.

“I’m excited to get an opportunity that will maybe help me get some more action against lefties,” Rice said. “Facing lefties is something that I’ve made a lot of improvements on throughout the course of my career. I’m excited to keep working at it, and I’m really looking forward to carving out my role a little bit more here.”

When Rice reported to camp last spring, Yankees coaches gushed about a noticeable physical transformation. Rice said he’d gained about 10 pounds dating to his callup on June 18, 2024, crediting an improved diet and focused training. Boone said the added weight appeared to be mostly muscle.

“That was a big focus for me last year,” Rice said, “just building up my body a little bit more and taking care of that to give myself a little bit more room for error. I think that helped a lot. I was able to increase the bat speed a little bit. I think that combined with fine-tuning my swing a little bit and refining my approach.”

This offseason, he found time for a bucket-list trip to Switzerland with his girlfriend, Sara Falkson, before resuming workouts in Tampa, Fla.

“I did get recognized by one guy,” Rice said. “I was very surprised. I did not expect that to happen. A guy ran into me at this sandwich place, a guy who worked at an opera house in Switzerland. He saw me waiting in line to order a sandwich. This guy was going crazy.”

If Rice continues to build on his 2025 performance, reactions like that may soon become common in the Bronx.