It started like something out of a movie. A cool spring night in the Bronx. The crowd was buzzing. A rookie stepping into a clutch spot. One swing, and the ball soared into the short porch, a shot that sent Yankee Stadium into a frenzy. This wasn’t just about a home run. It felt like the birth of something — a jolt of energy the Yankees didn’t know they needed.

That jolt came from Ben Rice, the rookie catcher-turned-first-baseman who’s quickly earned respect in the clubhouse and at the plate. He’s looked the part — calm, composed, and quietly clutching. But now, as Giancarlo Stanton nears his return from the injured list on May 27, Rice’s rise is colliding headfirst with a roster dilemma.

First base is occupied by Paul Goldschmidt, who’s batting north of .340. Stanton owns the DH role. And behind the plate? Trevino and Wells have the catching duties locked down. So… where does Rice go?

“I’ve asked Aaron Boone three times now — can Ben Rice play third base? He shuts it down every time,” a veteran MLB insider, Michael Kay, recently revealed. “I mentioned it to someone in baseball, and they rolled their eyes and said, ‘Joe Torre played third base.’ You’re telling me Rice can’t even try it?”

So, there’s growing frustration among insiders — not just with the logjam, but with the Yankees’ unwillingness to get creative.

Yes, sometimes these things work themselves out. Injuries, slumps, trades, they open doors. But if nothing shifts, the Yankees will be forced to choose: Make room for a rising talent or risk wasting one. Because if a rookie shines under the lights and you can’t find a spot for him… what exactly are you building toward?

Numbers don’t lie: Rice’s case for staying in the Yankees

You can’t fake timing, and you certainly can’t fake production. Since joining the Yankees, Ben Rice has done something many call-ups struggle with: He’s made the moment look smaller than it is. His two-homer night on April 29 wasn’t just a hot fluke; it was a warning shot to the rest of the league and a wake-up call to the Yankees’ front office. Both bombs were pulled with authority, the kind of swings you’d expect from a middle-of-the-order regular, not a rookie still technically fighting for at-bats.

Now look at the numbers. Through his first stretch of big-league action, Rice is hitting over .300 with a slugging percentage north of .500. He’s drawn walks, minimized strikeouts, and smashed right-handed pitching, the exact profile the Yankees sorely needed.

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Before Rice entered the mix, New York ranked near the bottom of the AL in OPS from the first base position. Since his arrival, that’s flipped, and the lineup has a different feel — more patience, more traffic, and more damage.

But stats only tell half the story. Rice has injected energy into the clubhouse, and the dugout reactions to his home runs say it all — his teammates believe in him. His plate discipline has helped extend innings, his presence has deepened the lineup, and his hot bat has directly contributed to the Yankees holding onto the top spot in the AL East. This isn’t just about development. It’s about value right now.

And that’s why so many around the league are asking: If this is what Rice looks like in year one… how do you justify sending him back down?