Ben Rice Poised for Everyday First Baseman Role with Yankees in 2026

Yankees General Manager Brian Cashman indicated that Ben Rice is highly likely to be the team's everyday first baseman for the 2026 MLB season, affirming his expectation for Rice to have an "everyday role in the big leagues." Rice, who also has experience catching, played 370 innings at first base across 46 starts in 2025. He had a standout season, hitting 26 home runs, accumulating 58 extra-base hits and 65 RBI, with a .255/.337/.499 slash line and an .836 OPS (131 OPS+, 133 wRC+). His thunderous 56.1 percent hard-hit rate ranked in the 97th percentile in MLB. Cashman praised Rice for his consistent hitting and for significantly softening the blow when Giancarlo Stanton was injured, forcing his way into the lineup and the team's future plans.