NEW YORK — As Ben Rice was rounding first base after belting his third home run of the game on Saturday afternoon, YES Network cut to a shot of the Yankees’ dugout.
His teammates were going nuts.
Clarke Schmidt and Giancarlo Stanton were banging on the railing, smiling ear to ear.
Alex Verdugo was frozen with his hands above his head and his mouth wide open in awe.
Marcus Stroman had hopped out onto the field, handing out high fives.
And then there was Anthony Rizzo.
If the first baseman was thinking about how Rice is shining in his spot on the infield — a promotion that Rice received because of Rizzo’s poor production and eventually, his injury — he didn’t show it at all.
Rizzo was just as animated as the rest of the crew. He leaned back as he stretched his arms high above his head, a look of sheer and utter glee plastered on his face. With his left hand, he stretched out his thumb, index finger and middle finger — like Hall of Famer Dirk Nowitzki used to do after he drained a three pointer — in honor of Rice’s hat trick.
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When Rice returned to the dugout, Rizzo was somewhere in the middle of the scrum that pushed the prospect toward the front steps for a curtain call, the finale to what ace Gerrit Cole called a “magical” day at Yankee Stadium, a 14-4 win over the Red Sox.
As a leader in the Yankees’ clubhouse, it’s no surprise to see Rizzo cheering on his teammates. He may be on the 60-day injured list with a fractured right forearm, an injury that brought the worst season of his career to a screeching halt, but he wants to win as much as anyone else in that room. His experience with the streak-snapping Cubs back in 2016 would be valuable for any team with championship aspirations and expectations.
But let’s not beat around the bush here.
Rice exploding on the scene in his first few weeks in pinstripes is nothing but bad news for Rizzo and his future in a Yankees uniform.
Even before Rice’s historic home run barrage on Saturday — making him the first Yankees rookie to ever hit three long balls in a single game — the first baseman was churning out quality at-bats. It seemed like every time he was up at the plate, he was working the count, taking balls outside of the zone and attacking those in his wheelhouse, consistently connecting with his barrel. That’s why manager Aaron Boone moved him into the leadoff spot a few days ago, praising Rice for his “slow heartbeat.”
It’s a very small sample size (of only 17 games thus far), but this is evidence to back up the scouting reports that came from the minor leagues over these last few seasons. Rice is an elite hitter. His swing is tailor-made for Yankee Stadium, an effortless stroke from the left side that still manages to pack a punch. His approach is mature beyond his experience and his confidence — as a 12th-round pick out of Dartmouth that’s been through heaps of adversity along the way — is overflowing.
Do the Yankees have another Wally Pipp situation unfolding here … 99 years after Lou Gehrig’s first full season in pinstripes?
Gehrig, also an Ivy Leaguer (Columbia), took over for Pipp and never looked back.
Some fans may be ready to retire Rice’s No. 93, but the Yankees are nowhere near that point yet. Rice isn’t the first prospect to make an unforgettable first impression. He’ll need to prove he can handle big-league pitching for an extended stretch once opposing arms begin to adjust and expose his weaknesses.
He may be hitting .325 with a 1.113 OPS in his last 13 games, but everybody hits a snag eventually after making their MLB debut. How he responds will be telling.
Still, this makes you wonder if Rice is a true long-term solution at the position if all continues to go well.
After all, Rice will have an extended opportunity to continue playing in most games moving forward this summer. Rizzo isn’t eligible to return from the 60-day IL until midway through August and that’s if he’s able to recuperate and build up in an expeditious manner.
Rizzo was batting .223 with a .630 OPS and a team-worst negative-0.4 fWAR over 70 games to start the season. Who knows if he’ll be able to produce once he’s healthy again. Quite frankly, he hasn’t looked the same since the beginning of last year before his collision with Padres star Fernando Tatis Jr. at first base in late May, leading to a rapid decline in his production and a shutdown with post-concussion syndrome.
This season, Rizzo was enduring a significant slump before he tumbled into foul territory while trying to beat out a grounder to the right side, landing awkwardly on his right arm.
Boone is doing his best to stay in the moment with Rice, keeping the 25-year-old’s skills at catcher — his primary position — in mind.
“I think the catching part of it is real too,” Boone said. “That’s not the need right now, but he’s obviously getting a ton of opportunities and it’s a great opportunity in front of him. We’re excited about what he’s doing. But I also don’t want to rush into it too much. We’re playing for a lot right now. We’re going through a tough stretch. He’s giving us a really good look each and every day and we want to just try and keep him in that position to where he’s a factor for us like he’s been.”
Long-term future aside, if Rice can sustain this success, he can lengthen the lineup as the Yankees get healthier over the next few months. His bat is an upgrade over Rizzo in every way right now. The Yankees are hoping certain key contributors can start to produce consistently as the summer clips along as well.
That means a trade for a first baseman at the deadline later this month might not be a necessity anymore. The Yankees already acquired corner infielder J.D. Davis, who they like to use against left-handed pitching, but he hasn’t done much since he came over from the Athletics. Rice has earned more starts against lefties as much as he’s 2-for-14 (.143) to start his MLB career when facing southpaws.
If this does signal the beginning of the end for Rizzo, and Rice doesn’t relinquish the starting job at first, the Yankees can easily absorb the $6 million it’ll take to buy the 34-year-old out this winter.
The alternative is a $17 million club option for next season. Having Rice at first base in 2025 would be a cost-effective decision that gives the Yankees more financial flexibility to spend in other places ... like offering Juan Soto a blank check in free agency.
Max Goodman may be reached at mgoodman@njadvancemedia.com.