Ben Rice’s Journey as Yankees’ First Baseman

SEATTLE — Despite all the preparation Ben Rice put in as a first baseman in Tampa’s backfield, there’s just no way to replicate the experience gained during actual games.

In that sense, he’s still on the path of development.

Yet, that doesn’t mean Rice isn’t making a positive impact at his position. He demonstrated this during the Yankees’ season-opening series, where he managed to hold his own quite successfully.

“I couldn’t be happier,” Rice mentioned after the Yankees swept the Giants at Oracle Park. “Everything felt routine, but it was great to contribute to some plays for our team.”

Rice’s offensive contributions were, well, expected by Saturday’s series finale. This kind of performance is why the Yankees decided to make him their full-time first baseman. Sure, there were some bumps along the way last year, but continued play at the position suggests he’ll become more dependable defensively with more experience.

“In the minors, if you presented him with a challenge, he’d usually rise to it,” manager Aaron Boone noted. “He’s improving, and we need him to keep that momentum going.”

The unique challenges that arise in live games can’t be replicated during practice. Reflecting on Rice’s defense, Aaron Judge highlighted a moment from Saturday: when Matt Chapman hit a high chopper between first and second base, Rice had to quickly decide whether to field the ball or cover first base. He chose to field it, cleanly gathering the ball and tossing it back to Will Warren covering first, securing the out.

Earlier in the week, Rice pulled off two impressive scoops in the opener and initiated a critical 3-6-1 double play on Saturday, later being involved in three double plays toward the end of the game.

“Overall, this really shows the effort he put in during the offseason,” Judge said. “I witnessed his hard work in January. He was all over the place, practicing as a first baseman, catching in the bullpen, hitting in the cage. After seeing his dedication, I knew he was here to stay, and I’m excited to see it pay off in the regular season.”

Rice, always active before games, was hard at work as he had been throughout last season and spring training. With Paul Goldschmidt resting against a left-handed pitcher, he split his time between practicing at first base and putting on catcher gear for additional work behind the plate.

The Yankees aim to keep a catcher in Rice’s repertoire, which could soon become necessary with Anthony Volpe poised to return from the disabled list. This situation might require a bench spot, potentially pushing backup catcher J.C. Escala to Triple-A. However, during spring training, the focus was primarily on giving Rice as many minutes as a first baseman as possible.

“I think the more games we play, the more comfortable I feel,” Rice reflected. “Practicing is important, but it really comes down to game reps to feel better about everything. So I hope we keep heading in that direction.”