The Yankees are hoping to see major strides from Ben Rice this season, and the 26-year-old is making sure he’s ready for the opportunity. Showing up to spring training noticeably bulked up, Rice looks like a player determined to take his game to the next level.
Last season, he got his first taste of big-league action, appearing in 50 games and logging 178 plate appearances. The results weren’t great—he hit just .171/.264/.349 with seven home runs and 23 RBIs. But his performance in Triple-A painted a different picture. In just 30 games at that level, he slashed .