inside the yankees What Ben Rice still means to the Yankees — even if he’s regressed without Aaron Judge By Dan Martin Published Aug. 21, 2026, 6:20 a.m. ET The Yankees' Ben Rice strikes out against the Pirates on July 20, 2026. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post BALTIMORE — When Aaron Judge was last in the Yankees lineup, he didn’t lead the league in OPS.
That was Ben Rice, whose 1.056 mark was tops in the majors. And Judge shared the team lead in homers with Rice (17).
The loss of Judge to a fractured rib was expected to affect the offense — and it has.
And it was seen as a test for Rice, whose start had vaulted him into the American League MVP race, even playing alongside Judge.
