The New York Yankees are in the midst of their three-game series against the Chicago White Sox.
Carrying the ballclub to success has been 27-year-old Ben Rice.
He’s young, but he has transformed into one of the organization’s most valuable hitters.
Yankees’ Scout Details His Early Observations of Ben Rice
GettyNew York Yankees’ scout Matt Hyde explained what stood out about Ben Rice
Jon Heyman of the New York Post recently sat down with longtime Yankees scout Matt Hyde, who shared insight on what it was like scouting Rice.
“I don’t know if anybody would have guessed that he’d [Rice] be in the position he is in now,” Hyde stated, per Heyman. “It’s just a testament to the work that he’s put in and the makeup and the character.”
Hyde added, “He played in the Futures Collegiate League during the summer of 2020, and at the end of a tied game after nine innings, they do a home run hitting contest to see who the winner of the game was, and Ben would be the guy who would come up. That’s when I first really started to take note of the big left-handed power in the bat.”
In five powerful words, Hyde summed up what he saw.
“He looked like a Yankee,” he stated.
YouTube: t.co/LECb9qD0RK Apple: t.co/ErD9aYtduK Spotify: t.co/qhgUqzQAXh
Hyde had the opportunity to watch Rice from the beginning of his professional journey.
He saw the potential, and now fans are watching him thrive at the pinnacle of his career.
He’s developed into an integral part of the historic New York franchise, just in the nick of time.
Rice’s Bat Heats Up
GettyNew York Yankees’ Ben Rice continues to impress fans during his 2026 campaign
With veteran sluggers Aaron Judge, Trent Grisham and Giancarlo Stanton on the IL, Rice couldn’t have found a better time to step up at the plate.
He’s been garnering well-deserved attention this season.
When assessing his stat sheet, it becomes clear why. His performance has truly been something to admire.
The young gun is slashing .295/.392/.622 with a jaw-dropping 1.014 OPS and 20 homers through 66 games.
Despite this only being his third year in the Major Leagues, he has been climbing his way up the chain, and doing so rather quickly.
At the time of this writing, his OPS is ranked second in baseball, trailing Yordan Alvarez of the Houston Astros.
Rice has managed to edge out some of the most recognizable names, including Shohei Ohtani of the Los Angeles Dodgers.
His stat sheet has skyrocketed since his 2025 campaign.
He wrapped up the season slashing .295/.392/.622 with a .836 OPS and 26 home runs across 138 games played.
Hyde’s blunt statement, “I don’t know if anybody would have guessed that he’d be in the position he is in now,” couldn’t be truer.
Rice has shown flashes of success on offense since making his debut in June 2024, but he has now unlocked another level.
His task now is to keep the momentum high — an entirely different beast to handle.
Quickly developing into a fan-favorite in New York, Rice has set the bar incredibly high for himself.
His value is only going up from here, which means the rising pressure to exceed expectations will follow.
Yankees’ Scout Details Moment He Noticed Ben Rice: ‘He Looked Like a Yankee’