<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/new-york-yankees/yankees-news-aaron-boone-outlines-ben-rice-plans-2026-season');   ga('set', 'title', 'Yankees’ Aaron Boone outlines Ben Rice plans for 2026 season');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Ben-Rice-with-NY-Yankees-3.jpg"><figcaption> Brad Penner-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Yankees’ Aaron Boone outlines Ben Rice plans for 2026 season</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-12-10T09:45:20-08:00">December 10th, 9:45am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-12-10T09:45:20-08:00">December 10th, 9:45am</time><address><a>Matt Wadleigh</a>Matt Wadleigh is a Senior Editor at ClutchPoints who used to lead NCAA Football and NCAA Basketball coverage while also specializing in MLB and NFL coverage. He was born and raised in Oceanside and resides in Fresno with his wife and two dogs. Matthew is a huge Southern California sports fan and a retired member of the Fresno State drumline.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">MLB</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The New York Yankees are always a team to watch in the offseason, especially with tons of cash to spend. Going into the MLB Winter Meetings, a big question was about the future of Ben Rice. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/new-york-yankees/yankees-news-ben-rice-starts-paul-goldschmidt-game-3-aaron-boone">Rice got the start over Paul Goldschmidt in </a>Game 3 of the Wild Card series, which sparked questions about the future of those players.</p><p>Rice broke out big time in September, hitting .316 with 25 hits, 4 home runs, 14 RBIs, and 14 runs in 22 games. That ultimately made the decision to switch Goldschmidt and Rice constantly a <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/new-york-yankees/yankees-news-aaron-boone-ben-rice-lineup-change">somewhat easy one for Yankees manager Aaron Boone</a>.</p><p>During the Winter Meetings, Boone gave some comments that might <a href="https://x.com/GJoyce9/status/1998793482144718879" rel="noopener">hint at a bigger role</a> for Rice going forward, via Greg Joyce of The New York Post.</p><p>‘FWIW, Aaron Boone said he expects Ben Rice to play “a lot” against lefty starters next season. They shielded him some from those matchups this year, in part because they had Paul Goldschmidt, who crushed lefties.</p><p>Boone also admitted that he can envision Rice <a href="https://x.com/snyyankees/status/1998141118685298961" rel="noopener">taking a giant step</a> in 2026, via Yankees Videos.</p><p>“He’s the type of guy that gets after it. I saw him the other day at Yankee Stadium. He was down hitting. I think he’s gonna be one of the really good hitters in Major League Baseball for a while,” Boone said.</p><p>Rice finished the season hitting .255 with 26 home runs and 65 RBI in the regular season, although he had just four hits in 18 at0bats in the playoffs.</p><p>Still, the future seems bright for Rice, and the Yankees seem to have a plan for him going forward.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Yankees’ Aaron Boone outlines Ben Rice plans for 2026 season

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/new-york-yankees/yankees-news-paul-goldschmidt-draws-game-4-start-over-ben-rice');   ga('set', 'title', 'Yankees’ Paul Goldschmidt draws Game 4 start over Ben Rice');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Yankees-1B-Paul-Goldschmidt.jpg?w=1024"><figcaption>Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Yankees’ Paul Goldschmidt draws Game 4 start over Ben Rice</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-10-08T12:58:11-07:00">October 8th, 12:58pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-10-08T12:58:11-07:00">October 8th, 12:58pm</time><address><a href="https://linktr.ee/jordan.llanes">Jordan Llanes</a>Jordan Llanes is a sports writer and reporter based in Florida. In addition to ClutchPoints, he writes for a few other publications covering the NFL, college sports and Tottenham Hotspur. When he's not writing, Jordan enjoys spending time with his fiancée, cats, family and friends, as well as catching the latest TV shows and movies, and traveling.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">MLB</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Down 6-1 entering the third inning of their AL Division Series (ALDS) Game 3 matchup against the Toronto Blue Jays, things looked bleak <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/new-york-yankees/3-reasons-yankees-will-upset-blue-jays-and-complete-alds-comeback">for the New York Yankees.</a> However, once Blue Jays starter Shane Bieber left the contest, the Yankees’ bats roared to life. The Bronx Bombers mounted a furious comeback, winning Game 3 9-6 to force Wednesday’s Game 4. New York’s official X, formerly Twitter, page <a href="https://x.com/Yankees/status/1975999658398040431" rel="noopener">posted the elimination game lineup,</a> which included veteran Paul Goldschmidt starting over sophomore Ben Rice at first base.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Game 4 in the BX. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RepBX?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RepBX</a> <a href="https://t.co/7QVN9goUCf">pic.twitter.com/7QVN9goUCf</a></p><p>— New York Yankees (@Yankees) <a href="https://twitter.com/Yankees/status/1975999658398040431?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 8, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>“Game 4 in the BX,” posted the team’s official account.</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/new-york-yankees/what-paul-goldschmidt-must-provide-yankees-postseason">While Goldschmidt getting the nod</a> over Rice is a bit surprising, it is the usual path Yankees manager Aaron Boone takes when a lefty starts. Today, the Blue Jays will feature a bullpen game. Both opener Louis Varland and the pitcher that will likely follow, Eric Lauer, are left-handers. Goldschmidt is usually the better option versus those pitchers. Can the 38-year-old help the Bombers’ offense continue their excellent form from the Game 3 win?</p><h2><b>Yankees look to even ALDS with Blue Jays at two games apiece</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Yankees-1B-Ben-Rice.jpg"><figcaption>Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Aside from Goldschmidt, the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/new-york-yankees/yankees-news-watch-jazz-chisholm-jr-put-ny-ahead-vs-blue-jays-solo-shot">Yankees lineup looks remarkably similar</a> to Game 3. Ryan McMahon once again draws the start at third base, while Anthony Volpe is the starting shortstop. Goldschmidt over Rice is the one notable change, yet it did feel a bit expected. Rice had a strong performance in Game 3 and will likely be the first bat off the bench in a potential big spot.</p><p>Yet, if the Yankees have their way, the bench won’t even be needed in Game 4. The majority of the lineup selected by Boone has shown that they can produce when the lights shine brightest. With the Blue Jays planning a bullpen game, and the Bombers countering with electric rookie Cam Schlittler, it looks like the home team could have the advantage once again. Can New York capture Game 4 and send the ALDS back to Rogers Centre tied at 2? If so, it’s likely that Goldschmidt and/or <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/new-york-yankees/yankees-news-aaron-boone-ben-rice-lineup-change">Rice will have had an impact.</a></p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Yankees’ Paul Goldschmidt draws Game 4 start over Ben Rice

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/new-york-yankees/yankees-news-aaron-boone-ben-rice-lineup-change');   ga('set', 'title', 'Yankees manager Aaron Boone’s ‘Ben Rice’ reason for big lineup change');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Aaron-Boones-Ben-Rice-reason-for-big-lineup-change.jpg"><figcaption>John Jones-Imagn Images.</figcaption></figure><h1>Yankees manager Aaron Boone’s ‘Ben Rice’ reason for big lineup change</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-10-02T15:54:32-07:00">October 2nd, 3:54pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-10-02T15:54:32-07:00">October 2nd, 3:54pm</time><address><a>Josh Davis</a>Josh Davis is an Associate Editor at ClutchPoints with a focus on MLB. As the founder and creator of OutOfSightSports, Josh spearheads the development and expansion of an engaging social media platform, with a core focus on Twitter/X. A passionate sports writer, Josh is dedicated to delivering compelling content that connects fans and fuels vibrant sports conversations. His vision is to craft stories so vivid that fans feel like they’re standing at the plate or on the field.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Boston Red Sox</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The New York Yankees made headlines hours before their decisive Game 3 against the Boston Red Sox when manager Aaron Boone confirmed a surprise shift in the lineup. Instead of leaning on veteran Paul Goldschmidt, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/new-york-yankees/yankees-news-ben-rice-starts-paul-goldschmidt-game-3-aaron-boone">Boone handed the starting first base job to Ben Rice</a>. The bold decision, announced Thursday afternoon, instantly sparked debate among fans and analysts.</p><p>This decision came after Boone’s initial plan throughout the series was to trust Goldschmidt against every left-handed pitcher. With a .271 postseason batting average that includes 26 hits, 8 home runs, 16 RBIs, and 13 runs scored across 25 games, his track record against southpaws and October experience made him the logical fit. But as the Yankees manager explained before the game, his decision ultimately came down to one player.</p><p>MLB’s Bryan Hoch posted on X, (formerly known as Twitter), that Boone <a href="https://x.com/BryanHoch/status/1973858950803304819" rel="noopener">gave his reasoning</a> when asked about the lineup adjustment before the elimination matchup against Boston.</p><p>“Ben Rice.”</p><p>Rice’s rise has been one of the most compelling stories of the 2025 season. In September, he hit .316 with 25 hits, 4 home runs, 14 RBIs, and 14 runs scored across 22 games, carrying that momentum into October. He capped it with a home run in his postseason debut during Game 2, a performance that forced Boone’s hand even if it meant benching a former NL MVP in a win-or-go-home contest.</p><p>Yankees right-hander Cam Schlittler will face Red Sox left-hander Connelly Early, a rare postseason duel between two rookies with very limited major league experience. Boone’s gamble added to the intrigue as the Pinstripes fight to keep their 2025 season alive.</p><p>Strategically, inserting Rice provided left-handed power in the middle of the order while keeping the 38-year-old Goldschmidt available off the bench. Psychologically, it sent a message that no role is guaranteed. For a franchise defined by October glory, the Yankees manager’s willingness to pivot signaled both urgency and trust in the hot hand.</p><p>Whether this decision becomes a celebrated turning point or a scrutinized gamble will be defined by the outcome. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/new-york-yankees/yankees-news-ny-spider-man-flex-ben-rice-big-game-2-vs-red-sox">If Rice delivers</a>, his performance could stamp his name into Yankees postseason lore. If he falters, critics will circle back to the night Boone chose momentum over pedigree in October’s highest-stakes stage.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Yankees manager Aaron Boone’s ‘Ben Rice’ reason for big lineup change

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/new-york-yankees/yankees-news-ben-rice-starts-paul-goldschmidt-game-3-aaron-boone');   ga('set', 'title', 'Yankees’ Ben Rice starts over Paul Goldschmidt in Game 3 despite Aaron Boone comments');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Ben-Rice-with-NY-Yankees-4.jpg"><figcaption>John Jones-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Yankees’ Ben Rice starts over Paul Goldschmidt in Game 3 despite Aaron Boone comments</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-10-02T13:17:16-07:00">October 2nd, 1:17pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-10-02T13:39:07-07:00">October 2nd, 1:39pm</time><address><a>Christopher Hennessy</a>Christopher Hennessy is a Senior Editor at ClutchPoints, with expertise in MLB, NHL and golf. Chris graduated with a journalism degree from Fordham University in 2022. He has also worked at Spectrum News One in Albany, New York and with The Hockey Writers as a New York Islanders writer. Chris is originally from Connecticut and is a lifelong New York Yankees, Islanders, and Jets fan.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">MLB</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox are preparing for a winner-take-all Game 3 on Thursday night. After a wild victory on Wednesday, the Bombers are rolling out another unique lineup for Game 3. Leading into the postseason, manager Aaron Boone said that Paul Goldschmidt would start against all lefty pitchers. But with <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/boston-red-sox/red-sox-news-connelly-early-game-3-yankees">young lefty Connelly Early on the mound for Boston</a>, Ben Rice is <a href="https://twitter.com/Yankees/status/1973840420556914985" rel="noopener">getting the start</a> for the Yankees.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Game 3 Tonight. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RepBX?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RepBX</a> <a href="https://t.co/bQ4cGyHAAp">pic.twitter.com/bQ4cGyHAAp</a></p><p>— New York Yankees (@Yankees) <a href="https://twitter.com/Yankees/status/1973840420556914985?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 2, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>Rice is hitting fifth, between righties Giancarlo Stanton and Amed Rosario. Early may not be long for the game, as Red Sox manager Alex Cora has been deploying the bullpen this postseason. That could lead to a lot of pinch-hitting decisions for Boone, which could include Goldschmidt.</p><p>Ahead of the postseason, Boone was <a href="https://x.com/BryanHoch/status/1973103736651137327" rel="noopener">asked about his first-base</a> platoon as Ben Rice ended the regular season on a heater. “Goldy is going to play against every lefty we face. That’s a pretty easy call,” Boone said, per MLB.com’s Bryan Hoch.</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/new-york-yankees/yankees-news-jazz-chisholm-jr-ben-rice-return-lineup-game-2">Rice was benched in Game 1 for Goldschmidt</a>, who picked up singles against Garrett Crochet and Aroldis Chapman. But questions still prevailed after the game about Boone’s strategy in keeping Rice on the bench amid the Yankees’ offensive struggles. Rice was in the lineup on Wednesday and took righty Bryan Bello deep for a homer in his first at-bat.</p><p>The Yankees are fighting for their lives again, this time with rookie Cam Schlittler on the mound. They are putting out their best offensive lineup to capitalize on a lefty starting pitcher, which does not include Goldschmidt right now. Rice is hot and could be the difference in the Bombers moving on or going home.</p><p>The Yankees and the Red Sox begin Game 3 of the American League Wild Card series at 8:08 p.m. Eastern. The winner faces the Toronto Blue Jays in the ALDS, while the loser goes home.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Yankees’ Ben Rice starts over Paul Goldschmidt in Game 3 despite Aaron Boone comments

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/new-york-yankees/yankees-news-ny-spider-man-flex-ben-rice-big-game-2-vs-red-sox');   ga('set', 'title', 'Yankees go full Spider-Man to flex Ben Rice’s big Game 2 vs. Red Sox');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Ben-Rice-with-NY-Yankees-3.jpg"><figcaption> Brad Penner-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Yankees go full Spider-Man to flex Ben Rice’s big Game 2 vs. Red Sox</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-10-02T05:56:06-07:00">October 2nd, 5:56am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-10-02T10:00:55-07:00">October 2nd, 10:00am</time><address><a>Christopher Hennessy</a>Christopher Hennessy is a Senior Editor at ClutchPoints, with expertise in MLB, NHL and golf. Chris graduated with a journalism degree from Fordham University in 2022. He has also worked at Spectrum News One in Albany, New York and with The Hockey Writers as a New York Islanders writer. Chris is originally from Connecticut and is a lifelong New York Yankees, Islanders, and Jets fan.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">MLB</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The New York Yankees beat the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/new-york-yankees/yankees-news-austin-wells-ends-22-year-drought-clutch-hit-red-sox">Boston Red Sox 4-3 on Wednesday, extending the American League Wild Card series</a>. After sitting on the bench all of Game 1, Yankees first baseman Ben Rice stepped up with Cody Bellinger on first base in the first inning and smashed a two-run homer. The team celebrated his big night with a Spider-Man <a href="https://x.com/Yankees/status/1973556492503752748" rel="noopener">caption for the ages.</a></p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">“With great power comes great responsibility” – Uncle Ben. <a href="https://t.co/GQ1IHGqq3r">pic.twitter.com/GQ1IHGqq3r</a></p><p>— New York Yankees (@Yankees) <a href="https://twitter.com/Yankees/status/1973556492503752748?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 2, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>“’With great power comes great responsibility’ – Uncle Ben,” the X post read.</p><p>The quote, which serves as the beginning of the Spider-Man story, came from Peter Parker’s Uncle Ben. While the young Rice may not be an uncle yet, he used that great power to help lift the Yankees to a win.</p><p>In Game 1, Yankees manager Aaron Boone deployed a righty-focused lineup to combat lefty star Garrett Crochet. That did not work on the offensive side, scoring just one run against Crochet and Aroldis Chapman. With Jazz Chisholm Jr and Rice back in the lineup in Game 2, they made the biggest plays of the game to secure the win.</p><p>Chisholm made an incredible diving stop to save a run in the top of the seventh inning. He scored the game-winning run, flying from first on an Austin Wells double in the eighth inning. Without the two players who spent most of Tuesday on the bench, the Yankees’ season would have been over on Wednesday night.</p><p>Rice may not start in Game 3 either, with<a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/mlb-stories/mlb-news-yankees-red-sox-game-3-pitching-matchup-not-seen-5-years"> lefty Conneley Early taking the mound for the Red Sox</a>. Aaron Boone said before the series that Paul Goldschmidt would play against every lefty starter. Rice can catch, but Austin Wells had the big hit on Wednesday. Rice may get a pinch-hitting opportunity against a righty reliever. Yankees fans will be looking for that ball to land in the short porch once again.</p><p>Cam Schlittler and the Yankees and Conneley Early and the Red Sox play in a winner-take-all game at 8:08 p.m. Thursday night.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

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Yankees go full Spider-Man to flex Ben Rice’s big Game 2 vs. Red Sox

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