Ben Rice put together the kind of season that should have forced his way into more award chatter. He finished with 41 homers and 97 RBI, and even after the Yankees were knocked out in the ALDS, he still led the postseason in total home runs. That kind of production would normally put a player squarely in the MVP mix, especially when the leader in that conversation is Yordan Álvarez, a primary DH for the Houston Astros.
Instead, Rice is headed for a much tougher fight. He and Álvarez are the DH finalists for the 2026 Louisville Slugger Silver Slugger award, presented by FanSided. That sets up a brutal matchup for the Yankees slugger, because Álvarez was the offensive force who dominated the 2026 narrative.
Álvarez’s case is hard to ignore. He hit .316 with 42 home runs, drove in 113 runs, posted a 190 OPS+, and finished with 6.8 bWAR. Rice, by comparison, finished at 3.7 bWAR despite what Yankees fans would call an enormously impactful year.
Rice may still have a path to the award, but the odds look rough. FanSided and Louisville Slugger announced the finalists and will reveal the winners on Nov. 17.
Rice might have had a cleaner path if he were in the first base field instead. The American League finalists there are Pete Alonso of the Baltimore Orioles and Willson Contreras of the Boston Red Sox, both of whom put up big numbers. Alonso’s 43 homers and 113 RBI made his case especially loud, but Rice would have had a better shot there than he does trying to knock off Álvarez.
That’s the bind for Rice: a huge season, a strong argument, and a finalist pool that leaves him staring at one of the most dangerous bats in the sport.
In Other News...
Yankees Fans Will Hate What These 2027 Projections Suggest About Judge
Steamers early look at the Yankees 2027 lineup is the kind of projection that can make fans squirm, because it tries to map out where the offense might be headed long before that roster actually takes shape. Aaron Judge is still the centerpiece of the discussion, but the projection system sees a step back from his peak years, while younger names such as Ben Rice and Austin Wells are part of the broader picture of what the lineup could become if the clubs internal growth goes as hoped.
The catch, of course, is that these forecasts are built on algorithms, not certainty, and they tend to wobble the most when a player has limited data or a recent injury history. That leaves plenty of room for skepticism around the expected bumps for players like Ryan McMahon and Wells, and it also leaves open the larger question Yankees fans care about most: how much longer Judge can keep carrying the offense before the projection models stop believing in another big year. [Read more 🡒]
Yankees Face Urgency As Late-Inning Bullpen Target Draws Rival Interest
With David Bednars free-agent decision deadline approaching, the Yankees are still weighing how much more certainty they want at the back of their bullpen. One name that has surfaced is Milwaukee closer Trevor Megill, who could fit as either a replacement plan or a late-inning partner if New York decides it needs more than one trusted arm to close games down the stretch.
The catch is that the Brewers are not the only ones watching. Milwaukee is said to be exploring trade possibilities for Megill even after its recent championship, and the Yankees are among several clubs in the mix, alongside Chicago, San Francisco and Detroit. One possible framework would send prospects Core Jackson and Carlos Lagrange to Milwaukee, but with interest building, New York may have to move quickly if it wants to stay in front of the market. [Read more 🡒]
Yankees Risk Repeating A Bullpen Mistake With This Lefty Return
The Yankees have already started shaping their bullpen picture for next season, and the early signs point to a familiar balancing act. They extended a qualifying offer to David Bednar and have shown interest in bringing back Paul Blackburn and Ryan Yarbrough, while also keeping an eye on Tim Hill, the left-handed reliever who gave them useful innings before his performance tailed off in 2026.
Hill still has a clear lane against left-handed hitters, but his issues against right-handed batters became hard to ignore, and that was part of why he was left off the playoff roster. New York is weighing whether a reunion makes sense or whether it would be wiser to avoid leaning too heavily on a specialist whose effectiveness has become more limited, especially with other bullpen options still on the table. [Read more 🡒]