Ben Rice Faces New Challenges Without Aaron Judge

Ben Rice has been a frontrunner in the American League MVP discussions this season, which is no small feat, especially with Aaron Judge—who we thought would be competing for his third consecutive MVP—also in the Yankees’ lineup.

However, things are shifting for Rice and the Yankees. With Judge now sidelined, the task of hitting becomes a bit more complicated. Rice, particularly, has been so used to having Judge’s presence behind him in the batting order.

In the games just before Saturday’s match against Boston, which ended up getting rained out, Paul Goldschmidt had the responsibility of batting behind Rice. While Goldschmidt is a strong hitter, his defensive capabilities don’t quite match Judge’s, particularly when facing left-handed pitchers.

Rice, reflecting on the absence of Judge, mentioned, “He’s too big to not be in our lineup. It’s definitely going to hurt, but all we can do is keep moving forward.” When asked if he felt pressure without Judge to back him up, he replied, “No, I’m going to focus on today. I’ll evaluate it at the end.”

Judge’s absence is notable, especially since he’s been limited since late April due to a right rib injury and is expected to be out for possibly two months. This will undoubtedly alter the approach pitchers take with the Yankees’ lineup.

When it comes to how this might change the pitches he sees, Rice had a thoughtful response, saying, “That’s not for me to say. We’ll see what happens. The only thing I can control is which pitches I swing at and which ones I don’t.” There’s a level of uncertainty there, and he’s right to acknowledge it.

In four games without Judge, Rice registered 4 hits in 14 at-bats, along with 3 walks, 6 strikeouts, a double, and a home run. Hitting coach James Rowson has praised Rice for his dedication, especially when it comes to studying opposing pitchers. “That’s part of what made him grow,” Rowson noted, adding that while many players are talented, their preparation often varies significantly. Rice’s preparation shows promise.

As it stands, Rice is approaching the season with a 1.051 OPS, which is impressive—only trailing Houston’s Yordan Alvarez. His walk rate is higher than last year, but the increase in strikeouts presents a challenge as he’s entering a pivotal part of the season.

With Judge possibly out for a while, Rice is expected to step up and fill the role of a key hitter in the lineup until Judge returns. The Yankees are being careful with the timeline surrounding Judge’s injury; it won’t be re-evaluated for at least another month, and he’ll need time to recover afterward.

During Friday’s loss, Rice hit a home run and went 2-for-3 as the No. 2 batter. Unfortunately, the batters following him—Goldschmidt, Cody Bellinger, and Jazz Chisholm Jr.—combined for an 0-for-11 outing. Because of this, the Yankees struggled offensively, with Rice and Trent Grisham being the only sources of productivity.

If the Yankees want to maintain their standing in the AL East during Judge’s absence, they’ll need contributions from their entire lineup, especially from Rice, who will play a crucial role in this endeavor.