How Yankees' Ben Rice has been best first baseman in MLB this season originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

The New York Yankees have been off to a strong start this season, and are sitting atop the American League at 19-10.

Aaron Judge is playing great once again, but the real headliner for the team this season has been the breakout of Ben Rice. He was good last year, but nothing compared to what he's done in 2026.

ESPN's David Schoenfield named Rice as the best first baseman in baseball so far this season, and revealed how he beat out Munetaka Murakami, Nick Kurtz, Matt Olson, and Sal Stewart for this top spot in MLB.

"In 2026, we have a group of first basemen off to great starts," Schoenfield writes. "... But Rice has been the best of the bunch, hitting .322/.447/.744 with 10 homers and 23 RBIs."

Rice's hot start to 2026 has him as MLB's best first baseman, according to Schoenfield. That's even though this year's crop of first base talent looks to be better than ever.

Kurtz is playing well despite his slow start, Olson is back to his 2023 self, who was an MVP candidate, and Murakami might be one of the best power hitters in the sport. Even Stewart is playing incredibly well, and could contend for the top spot at first base.

But Rice, with his ridiculously impressive 1.192 OPS (second-best in MLB), has the other top first basemen beat.

Murakami is fifth in OPS on the season at .965, but his defense isn't as good as Rice's, and he also doesn't have nearly as high an average as Rice either.

More: Shohei Ohtani deemed more valuable than Aaron Judge in recent ESPN discussion piece

The other three sluggers in Stewart, Olson, and Kurts have been impressive, but none compare to Rice's production to begin the season.

With Rice's breakout this year, the Yankees might not just have the best right-handed hitter in baseball, but potentially the best lefty hitter in the sport as well.

If it weren't for Yordan Alvarez, the Yankees duo of Rice and Judge would be No. 1 and No. 2 in baseball this year for OPS.

Rice is the best first baseman in baseball this season, and deservedly was called as such by Schoenfield for his incredibly hot start.

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