Boone’s Ben Rice call tests Yankees in wild card Game 1 vs. Red Sox

NEW YORK — The Yankees open their best-of-three wild card series Tuesday night at Yankee Stadium against the Boston Red Sox, and Aaron Boone has made a bold choice. The manager will keep one of his hottest bats on the bench in the name of matchups.

Ben Rice, who closed the regular season with a two-homer finale and a surge through September, will not start Game 1. Yankees Boone confirmed Monday that Austin Wells will be behind the plate and Paul Goldschmidt will “probably” take first base when New York faces Boston left-hander Garrett Crochet.

“Just because Rice isn’t in there doesn’t mean he doesn’t impact the game in a big way,” the Yankees skipper said during Monday’s workout at Yankee Stadium. “That’s a big thing with a lot of these matchups. Sometimes you’re putting them in a better spot to impact the game when they’re coming off the bench.”

Rice’s numbers make the choice more difficult

Rice’s play down the stretch made him one of the Yankees’ most productive hitters. Over his last 44 games, the 25-year-old posted a slash line of .304/.365/.578 with 10 homers, 30 RBIs, 25 runs, and 10 doubles.

Only Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton finished with higher slugging percentages for the New York Yankees this season. Rice capped his first year with 26 home runs, earning the nickname “Benny Barrels” from Boone for his knack for barreling the baseball.

“Benny Barrels has been doing his thing,” Boone said Sunday. “He’s in a great place going in and obviously he can play a big role for us.”

2025 Yankees first base/catcher options

Player	AB	H	AVG	HR	R	RBI	SB	OBP	SLG	OPS	OPS+	WAR
Ben Rice	467	119	.255	26	74	65	3	.337	.499	.836	131	2.2
Austin Wells	401	88	.219	21	51	71	5	.275	.436	.712	95	0.0
Paul Goldschmidt	489	134	.274	10	76	45	5	.328	.403	.731	104	1.2

Crochet’s dominance dictates the strategy

The Yankees’ plan centers on countering Crochet, who has given them problems all year. The Cy Young front-runner owns a 3-0 record with a 3.29 ERA in four starts against New York, striking out 39 batters.

Crochet’s numbers against left-handed hitters are especially strong, which explains Boone’s decision to sit several left-handed bats.

“He can run it up to 100 miles an hour, work all of his pitches in the zone when he needs to,” Yankees captain Judge said. “He’s a tough matchup. That’s probably why he’s, if not one of the best, the best pitcher in the game right now. Probably going to win the Cy Young. It’s impressive what he’s done so far this year. And look forward to facing him.”

Rice is just 1-for-8 lifetime against Crochet with a double. Wells has fared slightly better, going 2-for-9 with both hits for extra bases. Goldschmidt has been dangerous against lefties overall, hitting .336 with a .981 OPS this season, but is only 2-for-15 with five strikeouts against Crochet.

Player	AB	H	AVG	XBH	HR	SO
Ben Rice	8	1	.125	1	0	3
Austin Wells	9	2	.222	2	0	2
Paul Goldschmidt	15	2	.133	0	0	5
Jazz Chisholm Jr.	4	0	.000	0	0	3
Amed Rosario	9	6	.667	2	0	1
José Caballero	7	0	.000	0	0	5

Wells gets the nod behind the plate

The choice to start Wells also reflects his rapport with the Yankees’ ace, Max Fried. Wells caught 27 of Fried’s 32 starts this year and built steady chemistry.

Rice handled Fried only once, catching seven innings of one-run ball in the lefty’s final start of the regular season. The limited work together tipped the Yankees toward Wells.

“I think Wells is really good back there, and he’s been really good with Fried,” Boone said. “Wellsy is actually swinging the bat really good here down the stretch as well.”

https://twitter.com/snyyankees/status/1972717310956700074

Wells backed that up with a strong September, hitting .303/.351/.576 over his last 23 games. He went 0-for-3 with three strikeouts Sunday, but the Yankees’ late-season run helped his case.

Infield decisions remain fluid

The Yankees face other lineup choices beyond Rice. Boone must weigh defensive stability against offensive production around the diamond.

Ryan McMahon has provided the Yankees with Gold Glove-level defense at third base, but his bat has cooled and he draws a tough lefty matchup in Crochet. Amed Rosario could be an alternative. The right-handed infielder has gone 6-for-9 against Crochet, including five hits in 2025. Rosario worked at second base Monday and may start there if Boone opts to shuffle Jazz Chisholm Jr.

Yankees’ Chisholm was hit by a 97 mph fastball on his left forearm Saturday against Baltimore. Boone said Monday the second baseman “should be good” for Tuesday. Still, Chisholm has gone 0-for-4 with three strikeouts against Crochet.

Jose Caballero also took grounders at third base during Monday’s workout. His career line against Crochet is 0-for-7 with five strikeouts, leaving his role likely as a defensive option for the Yankees.

“They could be in play tomorrow,” Yankees’ Boone said of Rosario and Caballero. “They’ve been really good role players for us here since we got them and I expect them to continue to play an important role.”

The price of postseason chess matches

Boone’s choices highlight the tactical trade-offs managers face in short playoff series. A single lineup call can swing a season. The Yankees acquired Rosario, Caballero, and Austin Slater at the trade deadline with these exact situations in mind, giving Boone flexibility against tough left-handed pitching.

Rice will be Boone’s primary bench weapon. If Crochet exits, the rookie could pinch-hit for Goldschmidt and remain in the game. Against right-handers later this postseason, both Rice and Wells are expected to start with Rice at first base.

Tuesday will be the Yankees’ fifth meeting with Crochet in 2025. Boston will load its order with right-handed hitters against Fried, who ranks among the league leaders in ground-ball rate. Every at-bat will matter, and every defensive alignment will be critical.

Rice, despite sitting at first pitch, will be waiting for the moment to prove why Boone still calls him “Benny Barrels” and why the Yankees believe he can deliver in October.

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