NEW YORK — Six names. One position. Welcome to the most crowded corner of the Yankees infield. Ben Rice is the clear frontrunner at first base for 2026. But the Yankees are not leaving anything to chance. They have quietly assembled a small army of options to back him up.
One addition arrived on Dec. 13 when the team acquired a 26-year-old Cuban slugger spent eight years in the Milwaukee Brewers organization. Ernesto Martinez Jr. signed a minor league deal. The. He comes to the Bronx with an invitation to spring training and a chance to compete for playing time.
The new comer is not alone in that chase. He joins newcomer 2025 Mexican League MVP Nick Torres and utility man Amed Rosario on the list of players who can man first base. Throw in Oswaldo Cabrera and JC Escarra, and Aaron Boone suddenly has a surplus of options at a position that has haunted the Yankees for a decade.
Rice stands at the front of Yankees’ 1B platoon
The Yankees have not had a consistent first baseman since Mark Teixeira retired after 2016. They have cycled through 41 different players at the position over the past decade. Ben Rice is their best chance to end that revolving door.
The Cohasset, Massachusetts native posted a breakout 2025 campaign. He slashed .255/.337/.499 with 26 home runs in 530 plate appearances. His .836 OPS ranked second on the team behind only Aaron Judge. More impressive was his elite batted ball data. He finished in the 90th percentile or higher in expected weighted on-base average, exit velocity, barrel rate and hard-hit rate.
General manager Brian Cashman praised the homegrown product at the winter meetings.
“I definitely want to give Aaron Boone some legitimate choices so he can match up when we’re facing a left-handed starter,” Cashman said. “Obviously we’re so left-handed that it’s a vulnerability right now.”
That vulnerability explains why the Yankees are stockpiling right-handed options at first base.
Martinez brings size and discipline from Milwaukee
At 6-foot-6 and 254 pounds, Martinez is hard to miss. The Brewers signed him as an amateur free agent from Cuba in 2017. He spent the next eight seasons climbing through their system. He reached Triple-A Nashville in 2025 and earned International League Player of the Week honors in April.
His season numbers showed a disciplined approach. He slashed .255/.357/.388 with six home runs across 311 plate appearances. The .357 on-base percentage stands out for a player of his profile. He drew walks and controlled the strike zone. The power numbers never matched his imposing frame.
Brewers assistant director of player development Brenton Del Chairo described Martinez’s presence last year.
“You have to see it in person,” Del Chairo told MLB.com. “The first thing you’ll be astounded by is the massive size of this person. But he’s extremely mobile, and he does things at that size that are so athletic. It’s extremely fun to watch. And he plays with such energy and passion.”
The Brewers nicknamed him “El Espectaculo” or “The Show.” Now Martinez will try to earn that moniker in pinstripes.
Torres arrives as Mexican League MVP
The Yankees signed Nick Torres on Dec. 27. The 32-year-old right-hander was the 2025 Mexican League MVP after dominating with Algodoneros Union Laguna. He slashed .347/.425/.730 with 27 home runs and 79 RBI in just 86 games. His 1.155 OPS led the league.
Torres can play first base and corner outfield. He has not played in affiliated minor league baseball since 2018, when he was with the Texas Rangers’ Triple-A affiliate. But his numbers in Mexico over the past four years have been staggering. He has hit .343 with a 1.025 OPS for Union Laguna since 2021.
The San Diego Padres drafted Torres in the fourth round in 2014 out of Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. His path to the majors stalled. Now he gets one more shot with the Yankees.
Rosario adds another layer of versatility
Amed Rosario has played seven different positions in his major league career. First base has never been one of them. That is about to change.
The Yankees re-signed Rosario to a one-year, $2.5 million deal this offseason. Manager Aaron Boone revealed on Dec. 19 that the team wants Rosario to become a first base option.
The 30-year-old is a right-handed hitter who can complement the left-handed Rice. If Rosario can handle first base, it frees Rice to spend more time catching. It also gives Boone flexibility to play matchups against left-handed pitchers.
Rosario made an impact after the Yankees acquired him from Washington at the trade deadline. He delivered a crucial RBI single in the winner-take-all Wild Card Series game against Boston. He hit .303/.303/.485 in 16 games with the team.
Cabrera and Escarra provide internal depth
Oswaldo Cabrera missed most of 2025 after fracturing his ankle in May. When healthy, the super utility player can cover nearly every position on the field. First base is part of his defensive portfolio. His return in 2026 gives Boone another experienced option.
JC Escarra provides yet another alternative. The 30-year-old made his major league debut in March 2025 against Milwaukee. He appeared in 40 games for the Yankees, hitting .202/.296/.333 before being optioned to Triple-A in late July. Escarra can play catcher, first base, third base and corner outfield. His versatility makes him a candidate for the expanded roster.
The strategy behind the surplus
The Yankees fielded the most left-handed heavy lineup in baseball in 2025. That created problems against southpaw starters. Paul Goldschmidt helped solve that puzzle last season, posting a 169 wRC+ against lefties in a platoon role with Rice. Goldschmidt hit free agency and appears unlikely to return.
The front office is searching for a replacement. Instead of relying on one player, they are building a committee. Martinez, Torres and Rosario are all right-handed hitters. One of them could emerge as the answer.
Spring training will sort out the pecking order. Rice owns the starting job. Everyone else is competing for the backup role and a chance to prove they belong at the big league level.
The Yankees have gone a decade without stability at first base. They are determined to make sure that drought ends in 2026, even if it means bringing half a dozen candidates to camp.
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