A second-year New York Yankees slugger explains what’s behind his dramatic power increase from a season ago.
When Ben Rice debuted for the New York Yankees last year, power wasn’t a big part of his game.
Like many rookies, Rice struggled to find his footing at the plate. In 50 games after his call-up in June, he batted just .171/.264/.349 (72 OPS+) with 48 strikeouts and -0.4 WAR.
While he did hit seven homers, five of them came in a five-game stretch in early July, including three in a single game against the Boston Red Sox.
After that brief hot streak, Rice fell into a deep slump and was demoted to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre at the end of August. He did not appear in the postseason after batting .109/.211/.207 with two homers and 35 strikeouts over his final 31 games.
Realizing that he needed to make adjustments over the offseason, Rice focused on adding power and filling out his frame. By the time he arrived at spring training in February, he’d added 10-15 pounds of muscle.
The 26-year-old outfielder recently revealed why and how he bulked up.
“It was a personal decision. I just felt like I had some room to fill out,” said Rice, who was listed at 6-foot-2 and 215 pounds last year. “Made sure to get after it in the weight room. Talked with Drew Weisberg, our dietician here. Just kind of looked at my diet, how I could enhance it. It was really just adding some more food in there.”
By eating more and lifting more, Rice was able to add some “good functional weight,” which has helped boost his power stroke.
Rice looks noticeably stronger, which has translated to better results at the plate. Entering Friday’s spring training games, he was batting a more robust .279/.340/.558 with four homers and eight RBI in 14 games.
He also has five of the Yankees’ seven hardest-hit balls during spring training — an impressive feat for someone sharing a lineup with former MVPs Aaron Judge and Cody Bellinger.
Hopefully Rice’s strong spring and increased confidence carry over into the regular season. New York is counting on him to step up this year, especially with Juan Soto and Alex Verdugo gone and Giancarlo Stanton sidelined to start the season.
As a left-handed hitter, Rice is well-suited to take advantage of Yankee Stadium’s short porch in right field. If he builds on his spring training performance and stays healthy, he could end up in the 20-30 homer range this season.
The key for Rice will be keeping the weight on, as many players lose weight throughout the season due to MLB’s grueling schedule. If he’s able to do that, he could be poised for a breakout year.
