Aaron Judge is not the only Yankees slugger making noise in the power rankings originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Every single year, the New York Yankees are expected to lead the AL East and make the postseason. That puts a ton of pressure on players, especially the younger ones who are not used to all the spotlight.
There have been some players who have played in the Bronx, where it just didn't work out. The constant media attention, pressures from the front office and fanbase, and other things have been too much to handle for certain players.
However, Ben Rice has handled it well, surprisingly. The former Dartmouth College baseball player quickly had to learn how to play in front of more people than he had ever played in front of, and the constant pressure of winning a series.
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Aaron Judge is not the only Yankees slugger making noise in the power rankings
Last season was Rice's first full season in the big leagues. He played in 138 regular-season games, hitting .255/.337/.499 with 28 doubles, 26 home runs, and 65 runs batted in.
This season, he is picking up right where he left off. Across 39 games, he is hitting .303/.413/.667 with nine doubles, 13 home runs, and 29 runs batted in. He's doing well and finds himself near the top of a list headlined by Aaron Judge.
According to the crew over at MLB.com, they have ranked Rice as the No. 5 power hitter in their latest power rankings.
"He missed four games recently due to a left hand contusion, but his opposite-field home run in Baltimore on Monday helped quiet any thoughts of a lingering issue. No matter who is on the mound or what they are throwing, it's tough to beat the 27-year-old first baseman right now. He has an OPS above 1.000 against right-handed and left-handed pitchers, and he is slugging pretty well against each of the three pitch groups."
Between him, Judge, and Cody Bellinger, there aren't many breaks in this lineup. If they can continue to terrorize opposing pitchers and the pitching staff can avoid major injuries, this is a team that can go deep in October.
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