Yankees’ Plans for Ben Rice Against Left-Handed Pitchers

SAN FRANCISCO — The Yankees are actually considering giving Ben Rice another shot at facing left-handed pitchers this season.

Just not for the opener.

When the team revealed its second lineup of the season on Friday, some fans were taken aback. However, there was a clear reason for Paul Goldschmidt’s start over Rice against Giants’ lefty, Robbie Ray, at Oracle Park.

Ray happens to be the only left-handed pitcher the Yankees will encounter in their first nine games. Thus, manager Aaron Boone opted for a complete lineup change, putting all right-handed hitters on the bench: Goldschmidt replaced Rice, Amed Rosario took Ryan McMahon’s spot, and Randall Grichuk came in for Trent Grisham. This move avoids leaving those players without action for nearly two weeks before the season kicks off.

“Ben’s going to get his chances against lefties, including Grich,” Boone stated Friday morning. “A lot of it is about the first three series and nine games, since this is probably the only left-handed pitcher we’ll see. We definitely want to get them in, as they bring a lot to the table against lefties. So, it’s exciting to have them step in today.”

The Yankees have faith in Rice, who had a .208 batting average with a .752 OPS against opponents last year, believing he can perform well against left-handers—and maybe even better.

But with Goldschmidt—who posted a .336 batting average and a .981 OPS against lefties last season—on the bench, they might need to determine when to position Rice for a left-handed matchup.

“Are we full members? Is everyone available?” Boone pondered. “What does the week look like? Are there many left-handers coming up? We haven’t seen one in ten days. It just depends on how the season unfolds and the situation we’re in.”

This offseason, the Yankees aimed to limit left-handed players in their lineup, but instead chose to re-sign Goldschmidt and Rosario while adding Grichuk on a minor league deal to bolster their bench with three right-handed hitters.

All three have historically been effective against lefties and, importantly, have shown they can be productive even without consistent playing time.

This strategy could be pivotal against challenging left-handed pitchers in the division, like Red Sox ace Garrett Crochet and Orioles ace Trevor Rogers.

“Especially given what we saw last year; teams will try to line up lefties against us,” Boone said. “Bringing in Rosie, who’s strong against lefties, and adding Grichuk, aims to make us tough to face. We’re just trying to enhance the team by maximizing our strengths.”