As the Yankees continue to struggle, Manager Aaron Boone has been searching for a consistent, winning formula. Part of that equation is figuring out who should play first base, Paul Goldschmidt or Ben Rice?
In years past, this would’ve never been a debate, as Goldschmidt would be the obvious answer. However, now in his age 37 season, the potential future Hall of Famer is no longer the dominant force he once was. His righty/lefty splits have become a significant concern and his overall performance has plummeted in the season’s second half.
Meanwhile, Rice is in the midst of his first full MLB season and while he started the season strongly, he has also experienced a precipitous dip in performance since then. His righty/lefty splits are also of significant concern, meaning there is no easy answer to the Yankees’ dilemma.
Goldschmidt, a righty, has hit .228 against right-handed pitchers this season – compared to .404 versus lefties – and has batted just .219 in the second half, as opposed to .287 in the first half. Rice, a lefty, has hit .187 against left-handed pitchers this season – compared to .246 versus righties – and is batting .224 in the second half after hitting .235 in the first half.
Neither Goldschmidt nor Rice has hit well when coming off the bench, with the former batting .214 in 18 plate appearances as a substitute, compared to the latter’s .182 in 13 plate appearances. So, it’s not like either can be counted on to enter the game as a replacement.
Goldschmidt has been at his best in the middle innings of games this year, hitting .311 in innings four through six. Meanwhile, Rice has excelled most during innings one through three, batting .271. As for late-game situations – innings seven through nine – Goldschmidt holds the edge, hitting .263 vs Rice’s .221.
Lastly, in July and August, during a time in which Goldschmidt has supposedly been at his worst, the former All-Star is batting .260 compared to Rice’s .242. Therefore, while Goldschmidt is clearly not the player he once was, he still gives the Yankees a better chance to win on a daily basis than Rice and should be the everyday first baseman once his knee sprain is fully healed.
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