NEW YORK — Ben Rice’s performance behind the plate is drawing praise while manager Aaron Boone continues to take a wait-and-see approach. The rookie catcher has impressed with his ability to handle pitchers and produce at the plate, fueling talk that he could take over the primary catching role. Boone, however, has not declared a change.
Rice impresses defensively, ‘hasn’t lost a step back there’
Gary Phillips of the New York Daily News reported that “he hasn’t lost a step back there,” with Ben Rice earning strong marks for his blocking, pitch framing, and game management. It’s an important sign for a player who entered the season with questions about whether his bat-first profile would translate into everyday catching duties.
“Now Rice is earning those opportunities,” he wrote. “Tuesday marked his fifth catching start in the Yankees’ last seven games. Meanwhile, Wells, hitting .208/.267/.412 with 15 home runs, 56 RBI and an 84 wRC+ while posting abysmal numbers against sliders, sat for the second straight game.”
The Yankees have tested him in a larger sample, and so far, the defense has held up. Pitchers have responded positively to his style, with several noting his calm presence and consistent setups.
Boone on Rice: ‘We’ll see’
When asked whether Rice had supplanted Austin Wells as the starter, Boone was brief. “We’ll see,” he told Newsweek. His guarded answer signals a desire to maintain flexibility. With the Yankees in a tight playoff race, Boone appears reluctant to officially shake up the catching hierarchy until he is certain it will help both the lineup and the pitching staff.
That approach has precedent. Boone has often rotated young position players in and out before committing to full-time roles, preferring to protect them from prolonged slumps or fatigue.
According to Phillips, Boone shuts down any discussion on the topic. He wrote:
“’I don’t know,’ Boone replied, uninterested in discussing the subject on the spot. ‘We’ll see.’”
Wells’s struggles open door for Rice
Rice’s rise comes as Wells’s bat has gone cold. Since July 8, Wells is 5-for-47, dropping his season average to .208 with a .679 OPS. Boone acknowledged the slump but defended Wells’s contributions, noting his 15 home runs and 56 RBIs.
“A part of it is I want to keep Ben in there, and I think Ben has done a really good job behind the plate, too,” Boone said, adding that it also allowed Paul Goldschmidt to remain in the lineup. He said Wells would get a “breather” but stopped short of labeling it a benching.
For Wells, the mechanical issue has been clear. “I’m just off the barrel on a lot of breaking balls,” he admitted. He has been working in the cage to improve his timing and pitch recognition.
According to The Athletic’s Chris Kirschner, “Wells has been one of the most disappointing Yankees this season, and reducing Wells’ at-bats in favor of Rice could give the Yankees a spark.”
Rice gaining confidence behind the plate
Rice’s ability to adjust defensively has been one of the biggest surprises of the season. Coming into the year, scouts projected him as a hitter who might be used more at first base or designated hitter. Instead, his footwork and receiving skills have improved enough to earn praise from coaches and teammates.
The added responsibility has not slowed his bat. Rice has continued to produce offensively in the second half, giving the Yankees a balanced option in a position where league-wide offense is often scarce.
“At the beginning of the season, when Rice was mainly getting at-bats as the Yankees’ designated hitter and first baseman, catching coordinator Tanner Swanson said he believed Rice could start for at least a third of MLB teams,” Kirschner wrote. “Behind the scenes, the Yankees were having Rice catch bullpens and slowly working him into lopsided games behind the plate. He’s now showing he could handle a bigger workload.”
“However, Boone wasn’t interested in entertaining the possibility of that happening, quickly dismissing a question regarding Rice getting more playing time behind the plate,” he claimed.
Catching depth fuels internal competition
The Yankees’ depth at catcher adds another layer to the decision. J.C. Escarra’s emergence earlier in the year and the recent Triple-A addition of veteran Rob Brantly provide insurance if either Rice or Wells struggles. The organization has also invested heavily in catcher development, emphasizing pitch framing and defensive fundamentals across all levels.
That depth creates healthy competition. Boone’s challenge is deciding when to ride the hot hand versus when to stick with his original plan.
Boone navigating lineup balance
Boone’s handling of the situation reflects the broader balancing act facing the Yankees. The team is trying to maximize offense without sacrificing stability behind the plate. Rice has shown he can deliver both, but Wells’s track record and power potential remain valuable assets.
“I’m trying to get the best grouping out there, day in and day out, to give us a chance to win a game,” Boone said.
His lineups have shifted accordingly, sometimes pairing Rice with certain pitchers and giving Wells starts when matchups favor his left-handed bat.
Subtle shift in clubhouse dynamic
While Boone has avoided making a definitive statement, Rice’s growing workload hints at a subtle shift. In baseball clubhouses, playing time often tells the story more than words. Rice catching more regularly in recent weeks suggests he is earning trust. If the Yankees continue to win with him behind the plate, the “we’ll see” from Boone could evolve into something more concrete.
The move would not be without precedent. In 2018, then-rookie Gleyber Torres played his way into an everyday role during the stretch run despite initial plans for a timeshare. The Yankees could be seeing a similar scenario develop with Rice.
Impact on playoff push
With the American League playoff picture tightening, every lineup decision carries weight. The Yankees are counting on consistent run production while also protecting a pitching staff that has dealt with injuries and inconsistency.
If Rice continues to control the running game, handle high-leverage innings, and contribute offensively, he may force Boone’s hand. His performance in August could have a direct impact on whether the Yankees secure a postseason berth or face another early October exit.
For now, the Yankees will keep rotating their catchers, with Boone monitoring both performance and health. But the longer Rice sustains this level of play, the harder it will be to frame him as anything other than the starter.
Boone’s caution is understandable given the demands of catching over a full season. Yet for a club in a playoff race, sometimes the best move is to ride the player producing in the moment.
Rice appears ready for that challenge.
What do you think? Leave your comment below.
The only real question at this point is when do the Yankees finally admit that Wells’s circulatory issues have been and are still causing problems and he needs to go on the IL so that it can be dealt with and not just manager to get through the season?