Should the Yankees make Ben Rice their leadoff hitter?

TL;DR

Ben Rice has shown exceptional hitting metrics, prompting discussions on whether he should be the Yankees' leadoff hitter. After a strong performance in this role, the debate centers on maximizing at-bats for the team's best hitters.

Key points

Ben Rice has been one of the best hitters in baseball this season.
He recently played as the leadoff hitter for the first time in 2026.
Rice has strong OPS numbers as a leadoff hitter from previous seasons.
The Yankees are considering the strategic benefits of placing their best hitters at the top of the order.

Ben RiceNew York YankeesKansas City RoyalsBoston Red Sox

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - APRIL 18: Ben Rice #22 of the New York Yankees reacts after his third inning home run against the Kansas City Royals at Yankee Stadium on April 18, 2026 in New York City. The Yankees defeated the Royals 13-4. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images) | Getty Images Ben Rice’s playing time has been a topic of some consternation around these parts to the start the season. The 27-year-old has been some metrics the best hitter in baseball thus far, so it’s been frustrating to find him on the bench at times. But rather than ask the question of whether Rice should play every day (which, yeah, probably), perhaps we should be wondering about *where* Rice should play every day. And by where, I don’t mean where on the diamond, but where in the batting order. Over the weekend, with the Yankees facing Royals lefty Cole Ragans, Aaron Boone slotted Rice into the leadoff slot in the order for the first time in 2026. Rice handled the assignment with aplomb, walking twice in front of Aaron Judge and hitting his eighth home run of the year. Should the Yankees cut the shenanigans and just install Rice as their leadoff hitter? Sunday’s result offered a positive data point, but there’s more to the argument than just one strong game. Rice has excelled in the spot before, posting a .910 OPS in 23 games out of the leadoff slot in 2025, and even running an .864 OPS in ten starts as the leadoff hitter in his rookie 2024 campaign (though those figures are propped up a bit by his against the ). Moreover, the strategic implications of moving Rice into the leadoff spot are compelling. Putting Rice at the top and Aaron Judge at number two is an aggressive manuever that immediately puts pressure on the opposing pitcher. It’s becoming clearer by the day that Rice and Judge are the Yankees’ best hitters; why not ensure that they get the most at-bats, apply the most pressure on the opponent, and protect each other/give each other more opportunities to drive runs in? The case against lies in keeping Rice’s potent power bat lower in the lineup. Rice has largely worked out of the cleanup spot in 2026, where he’s slugged .722 and driven in 11 runs in 11 games. Putting his name a little lower on the card gives probably gives him more chances to come up with a runner or two on, rather than giving him more chances to get on in front of Judge. What do you think? Should the Yankees just put their best hitters at the top of the lineup and challenge their opponents to wade through them as many times as possible every night? Or should they take the more traditional route and keep Rice’s power bat closer to the heart of the order? On the site today, Madison will handle the Rivalry Roundup for last night, and Peter’s entry in our Yankees Birthday series profiles pitcher Jimmy Key. Also, Andrés argues that has shown some promising signs during a nominally slow start, while Michael takes a look at slugger , and wonders whether he provides a blueprint for Yankees prospect Spencer Jones.

Q&A

What are Ben Rice's hitting statistics as a leadoff hitter?

Ben Rice posted a .910 OPS in 23 games as a leadoff hitter in 2025 and an .864 OPS in ten starts during his rookie 2024 season.

Why is there a debate about Ben Rice's position in the batting order?

The debate arises from Rice's strong hitting performance and whether placing him at leadoff or keeping him lower in the lineup maximizes his impact and opportunities to drive in runs.

How did Ben Rice perform in the recent game against the Kansas City Royals?

In the game against the Royals, Ben Rice walked twice and hit his eighth home run of the year, contributing to the Yankees' 13-4 victory.

What are the potential strategic implications of moving Ben Rice to leadoff?

Moving Rice to leadoff could apply pressure on opposing pitchers by placing him and Aaron Judge, the Yankees' best hitters, at the top of the lineup, increasing their at-bats.