I’m not saying that Ben Rice is Aaron Judge reborn, I’m just saying that a year ago Ben Rice looked overwhelmed by MLB pitching, striking out far above his minor league production, and in his first full year with the big league club blossomed into one of the more promising hitters in the game. Rice didn’t have an MVP season, but if he hadn’t exceeded his rookie limits in 2024, the lefty would have given Nick Kurtz a run for his money for the AL Rookie of the Year award.

Grade: A

2025 Statistics: 138 games, .255/.337/.499, 26 HR, 65 RBI, 133 wRC+, -1 OAA, 3.0 fWAR

2026 Contract Status: Pre-arbitration

First base has been a bit of a nightmare for the Yankees for a while now, with Anthony Rizzo providing a brief respite before what turned out to be a career-ending concussion. Since the be

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