The New York Yankees in 2026 are not having any problems with run production, even with Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton not playing. And the major reason is Ben Rice. That has given the Yankees a solution to their catching problems.

“Absolutely, we talk about it. We’ve got a long way to go in this season, but it’s not in the immediate plans. He’s so important to our lineup. You start ramping him up in a demanding position….,” noted Aaron Boone, as reported by NJ.com, when asked about Ben Rice’s move to catching.

While the Yankees continue dealing with injuries across the lineup, Rice has emerged as one of their most productive hitters.

Rice is batting at .293 with 19 home runs and 47 RBIs. And with the Yankees getting almost no offense from their catchers, the possibility of moving Rice behind the plate has started gaining attention.

Before landing on the IL with cervical headaches, Austin Wells was batting .166 with 4 home runs and an OPS of .533 in 47 games. Backup catcher J.C. Escarra also struggled to contribute at the plate, while Ali Sánchez entered the season without any offensive expectations. At one point, Yankees catchers went hitless throughout June until Escarra doubled on June 13.

That offensive drought naturally pushed attention toward Rice, especially given his success this season.

Rice showed why he is the Yankees’ best hitter right now with a 9-inning bomb in Toronto in their 8-3 win.

Ben Rice, too, has made it clear that he remains open to catching again.

“I love catching,” Rice replied when asked about this.

He also revealed that he still attends catcher meetings and remains involved in game-planning. That is because last season, Rice posted an .879 OPS while catching in 36 games, showing he can contribute offensively while handling the position.

Still, the Yankees have shown little urgency to move him behind the plate. Manager Aaron Boone admitted the organization has “absolutely” discussed the possibility. But the biggest concern remains protecting him as a hitter who currently leads the Yankees in offense.

Other than that, his defense hasn’t been convincing, either.

Boone acknowledged that Rice’s blocking and framing are still not the best on the team, and there are players ahead of him defensively. Plus, with Rice suffering a left-hand contusion on May 3, it disrupted his catching work.

Boone explained that the injury “kept him from doing a lot of his physical catching drills,” reinforcing why the Yankees have remained cautious.

But the Yankees made their stance clear back in spring.

They gave Ben Rice very limited catching practice in spring, as they viewed him more as their offensive outlet. While he did have some bullpen sessions, it was nothing serious.

But the question now is: are the Yankees ready to give up the catching spot in the lineup just for defense? The Yankees choosing him as an offensive outlet is the best for Rice.

Ben Rice could is in the AL MVP race

Since Aaron Judge got injured and will be out for a few weeks, it has blown the MVP race wide open for other players. Since the start of the decade, the AL MVP race has been dominated by two names, Aaron Judge and Shohei Ohtani. And now, with Ohtani in the NL and Judge dealing with a rib stress fracture, the balance of power in the AL MVP race has suddenly shifted.

MLB insider conversations around the MVP race have quickly turned toward Yordan Alvarez, who is now sitting at the center of the discussion. Alvarez leads the AL with a 1.093 OPS, while hitting 24 homers and having an average of .327. He also had a 6-RBI game against the Kansas City Royals, showing that his offense is better than most in the league.

With Judge out of the picture, Alvarez has stepped in as the clear frontrunner, especially being in the top 3 in most offensive stats. But the race does not stop there.

Bobby Witt Jr. has quietly built one of the most complete profiles in baseball this season. Witt is sitting near 3.9 fWAR while stealing 24 bases with a 125 wRC+ from the shortstop. His value stretches across defense, baserunning, and contact hitting, even if his homers are just 9.

That all-around consistency has kept him in the MVP conversation. At the same time, Nick Kurtz has turned into one of the most explosive young stars in 2026.

Kurtz has an OBP of .438 and leads the league, and he also went on a 7-game homer streak in a 12-game stretch. His surge has pushed him from rookie attention into a legitimate MVP contender. Every week seems to add another layer to his rise, especially as his bat continues to stay hot through June. And then there is Ben Rice.

He has become one of the most surprising names in the entire AL MVP discussion.

Rice is standing with 18 home runs and a 1.005 OPS while holding a key role in the Yankees’ lineup. Even before Judge’s injury, Rice was already matching production in big moments and was going toe-to-toe with Aaron Judge for homers. This put him as one of the top favorites to get the AL crown.

But the biggest question now is whether he can sustain this level of production throughout the season.