Ben Rice Will Be A Better #22 Than Soto

Juan Soto. What a time we had, huh? The lefty phenom strutted into the Bronx, wore No. 22 with pride, smashed baseballs, flexed on pitchers, and led the Yankees to the World Series in 2024. Sounds great, right?

Yeah, well, we didn’t win it. So as far as Yankee fans are concerned, it’s a wash. A very entertaining wash, but a failure nonetheless. You don’t hang a banner for “almost.” That’s a Mets thing. They practically throw parades for wild card appearances.

So, while Soto did his best one-year rental impression of Babe Ruth meets a TikTok influencer, the Yankees came up short. And now? He’s wearing blue and orange. Yes, the Mets — the team that thought giving nearly $800 million to one guy was a surefire plan for a championship. Honestly, good for them. Seriously. It’s adorable. But if the Mets think one superstar is going to fix their deeply Metsian DNA, they might want to go ahead and replay the 2024 Yankees season on loop. Case closed. Exhibit A.

Back in the Bronx, meanwhile, the Yankees started 2025 by lighting the baseball world on fire — launching a league-leading 22 home runs in their first six games. That’s not a typo. Twenty-two bombs. No Juan Soto? No problem.

Why?

Because there’s a new sheriff in town wearing that freshly vacated No. 22. His name? Ben Rice. Remember it. Rice, originally called up to fill in for the perennially creaky Giancarlo Stanton, didn’t just grab a temporary spot in the lineup — he inherited Soto’s jersey number, which was still radiating superstar vibes when he pulled it over his head. Instead of wilting under that weight, Rice said, “Thanks, I’ll take it from here.”

And he’s done exactly that. As of Friday, Rice is 7-for-19 (.368), with two home runs and two walks. Meanwhile, over in Queens, Soto is hitting .240 with one lonely home run.

Now, let’s pause for a second. Is this a small sample size? Of course it is. But are we still going to overreact and declare Ben Rice a better investment than $800 million Soto? You bet we are. Because here’s the thing: Rice didn’t get handed a Brinks truck. He got handed a chance. And he’s running with it like he’s stealing home.

Back in February, the New York Post reported that Rice had packed on about 10 pounds of muscle during the offseason — mostly in his upper body. Translation: he did not spend his winter thinking about real estate in Battery Park or what temperature the champagne suite needs to be for his family. He trained like a guy who wanted to earn something, not be gifted it.

And it’s paying off.

“I think the ball’s coming off the bat harder, for sure,” Rice said this spring. “Putting more mass on the ball, so it’s going to come off harder.”

In other words: he’s built different. Quite literally.

No one’s saying Rice is a guaranteed star. But he’s already showing heart, hustle, and a bat that cracks like thunder. He doesn’t have a family suite at Yankee Stadium. He has a locker and a number — the same number worn by a guy who’s now a trivia question in Yankees lore: “Who was great for one season but didn’t deliver a ring?” Oh right. That guy.

The Yankees have turned the page. New year. New team. New No. 22. And frankly, it looks better on Ben Rice — because he’s not carrying expectations, he’s earning them.

So thanks for the memories, Soto. Hope the Citi Field sushi’s fresh and the limo to Queens doesn’t hit traffic. Meanwhile, we’ll be over here enjoying a team that doesn’t need $800 million to mash 22 homers in six games.

Rice, rice baby.

Source: http://bleedingyankeeblue.blogspot.com/2025/04/ben-rice-will-be-better-22-than-soto.html