“I think he’s turning into one of the best hitters in the league.”
– Aaron Boone on Ben Rice
Getty
Aaron Boone’s comments on Red Sox prospect Roman Anthony draw attention ahead of Opening Day.
The New York Yankees lost 6-3 to the New York Mets on Saturday at Citi Field, a frustrating result in Game 2 of the Subway Series. The loss dropped New York to 28-18 on the season.
The bigger picture, though, has not changed. This is still one of the better rosters in the American League, built around a core that has absorbed injuries and kept winning anyway.
Before the game, manager Aaron Boone offered a reminder of one of the reasons why. Asked about Ben Rice, Boone did not hold back.
“I think he’s turning into one of the best hitters in the league,” Boone said.
That is not a small statement.
Boone has seen enough hot streaks to know the difference between a good month and a real change. His point was not just that Rice is producing. It was that Rice is becoming something bigger than the Yankees may have expected when he first came through the system.
Boone always believed Rice could hit. What has changed is the ceiling. Rice is no longer just validating the scouting report. He is stretching it.
“I think he’s turning into one of the best hitters in the league.”
– Aaron Boone on Ben Rice
The case Boone made is not difficult to support.
Rice entered Saturday with 14 home runs and 30 RBIs while hitting .314 with a .418 on-base percentage. His .686 slugging percentage and 1.104 OPS led all of baseball.
That is not just good production. That is star-level production.
The company he is keeping with Judge makes it even harder to dismiss. Through the Yankees’ first 45 games, Rice and Judge became only the second pair of teammates in franchise history to each reach at least 14 home runs that quickly.
Rice has also answered one of the biggest questions attached to his profile. Last season, left-handed pitching could still create problems for him. This year, that weakness has not looked like a weakness at all.
His OPS against lefties entered Saturday at 1.092, nearly matching the damage he has done against right-handed pitching.
GettyNEW YORK, NEW YORK – MAY 15: Ben Rice #22 of the New York Yankees reacts after hitting a solo home run during the ninth inning against the New York Mets at Citi Field on May 15, 2026 in the Queens borough of New York City. (Photo by Ishika Samant/Getty Images)
When Juan Soto left the Yankees for the Mets, the question was never whether New York could replace him directly.
The question was whether the Yankees could still build a dangerous enough lineup around Judge to remain one of the best teams in the American League. Rice has helped answer that in a way few could have expected.
Rice wearing No. 22 adds another layer, even if the Yankees would never frame it that way. Soto wore that number in The Bronx before taking it across town. Rice now wears it while giving the Yankees the kind of left-handed thunder they needed after Soto’s exit.
GettyJuan Soto of the New York Mets. (Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images)
The Yankees dropped Saturday’s game 6-3, but the larger story has not changed. Rice has spent the first six weeks of the season turning a promising bat into one of the most dangerous offensive profiles in baseball.
He is hitting lefties and righties. He is hitting for power and controlling the zone. He is giving Judge the kind of lineup partner the Yankees badly needed after Soto left.
That is what Boone sees.
Keith Watkins Keith Watkins is a sports journalist covering the NBA for Heavy.com, with a focus on the Golden State Warriors, Boston Celtics, and Los Angeles Lakers. He previously wrote for FanSided, NBA Analysis Network, and Last Word On Sports. Keith is based in Bangkok, Thailand. More about Keith Watkins
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