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Man City secures top spot in Premier League with 1-0 win over Burnley, relegating them to the Championship.
Ben Rice performs adequately against left-handed pitchers, contrary to the New York Yankees' frequent decision to bench him in such matchups. This pattern continues as he is benched again for a game against Boston's Ranger Suarez.
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Ben Rice's stats against lefties aren't even that bad originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Ben Rice actually hits left-handed pitching just fine.
You wouldn't know it by how quickly the New York Yankees and manager Aaron Boone bench him each time they're going to be against a southpaw starter.
It's happening again on April 22 in Fenway Park against Boston's Ranger Suarez. It seems like it won't be the last time.
So it's worth noting that Rice does OK against lefties, too.
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Yes, Rice has been a more productive hitter against right-handers.
But his numbers against lefties look fine, too (through April 21):
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No, they aren't spotless, but they also haven't gotten much of a chance. Less than 200 plate appearances is a relatively small sample, but Rice has still shown power and a good eye at the plate.
Ben Rice hits left-handed pitching reasonably well, despite being frequently benched by the Yankees.
Aaron Boone often benches Ben Rice against left-handed starters, even though Rice has shown he can perform against them.
Ben Rice was last benched on April 22 against Boston's Ranger Suarez.

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He strikes out a bit more against left-handers, and so sure, if he's going to get a day off, it might as well be against a lefty.
But not every time. Rice is an improved hitter from 2024 to 2025, and again from 2025 to 2026. He hasn't gotten enough chance to show how that works out against same-sided pitching.