Minor League & Prospects Thread

Tom Kosensky with Sunday's minor league report.

tomkosensky.com/2024/04/07/yankees-milb-4-7-caleb-durbin-is-on-fire/

I’ve had a bit of a stiff neck the past three days that’s just now starting to relax. They can be difficult to get rid of, sometimes requiring a muscle relaxer…

Soon we will hear Jones is headed for an MRI

Yankees Prospect Profile: Ben Rice
www.pinstripealley.com/2024/4/9/24124614/ben-rice-yankees-prospect-profile-somerset-patriots-dartmouth-catcher

For a prospect to make consistent headlines, they usually have to fall into one of two categories. Either a highly touted amateur player with a high round selection or big international signing bonus, or a player who explodes onto the scene. Ben Rice falls into the latter category. Starring in both baseball and hockey as a Massachusetts high schooler, Rice gave up the ice to focus on baseball and academics as he went to the prestigious Dartmouth College. Drafted in the 12th round back in 2021, Rice started his professional career modestly before exploding this past season. He played across three levels before finishing in Double-A, where he returns to start his 2024 campaign.

After playing in just 30 college games across two seasons, and not putting up amazing numbers at that, it seemed Rice had an uphill battle ahead of him just to be drafted. But one thing he did do consistently was perform well in high level wood bat summer leagues. In 83 games across three summer league seasons, Rice batted .355/.450/.610 with 16 homers and 60 RBI. While summer league numbers aren’t the end all be all, it did help offset some of the concern about the lack of production in college. After being drafted, Rice signed for slot value of $125,000 and was assigned to the Florida Complex League, where he did not pick up a hit in six plate appearances before being moved up to Single-A Tampa, where he batted just .210 with three home runs and 12 RBI in 21 games. Rice repeated Single-A for all of 2022, where he slashed .267/.368/.442 with nine home runs and 36 RBI in 68 games. While he played better, he wasn’t producing at a standout rate just yet.

The next season, 2023, is where things began to take off for Rice. Assigned to High-A Hudson Valley to begin the season, Rice started off hot for the Renegades, slashing .341/.559/.523 with two homers, 10 RBI and 18 walks compared to just 10 strikeouts in 15 games before an oblique injury sidelined him until July. Once he returned, he was assigned back to Tampa for a 10-game rehab assignment where he continued to play well, before jumping up to Double-A Somerset for the stretch run of the season. Rice saved his best for last, as he hit .327/.401/.648 (good for a 1.049 OPS) with 16 homers and 48 RBI in 48 games en route to being named the Eastern League Player of the Month for August and helping Somerset reach the Eastern League playoffs. Putting it all together, Rice got into 73 games across three levels in 2023, and slashed .324/.434/.615 (a 1.048 OPS) with 18 doubles, 20 homers and 68 RBI and capped off his season by being named an MiLB.com Organizational All-Star and firmly cementing himself as one of New York’s top prospects.

In the batter’s box, the left-handed hitting Rice brings a smooth stroke and quick hands with his swing. There’s not a lot of moving parts in said swing, and he’s able to repeat his motions consistently. Rice worked hard to improve his launch angles heading into 2023 and finished with a noticeable improvement. His pure hitting ability brings him most of his success but he has matured into a 15-20 homer season type of player. Rice will never be a consistent threat on the basepaths but has the ability to steal a bag every now and again. He doesn’t run too often, but is generally successful when he does, including going 11-for-14 on attempts in 2023.

Defensively, Rice is a bit of an anomaly. He has played either catcher or first base dating back to his college days, but has seen more run as a catcher in the pros. The overall stats haven’t been pretty. Evaluators have been split on both Rice’s blocking and receiving skills, but his arm has not treated him well. Runners ran wild on Rice all season in 2023, as he threw out just eight runners in 70 attempts across his 37 games behind the plate, a number that desperately needs to change for Rice to remain as a catcher. At first base, he grades as passable at best. Rice is being given more time to work things out as a catcher, but all signs point to a permanent shift away from the plate barring a dramatic turnaround.

Despite the great surface level offensive stats, two things are holding Rice back; his production against lefties and his age. Rice turned 25 this past February, which is on the older side of a prospect still only in Double-A. He has consistently been on average a year or two older than the average player at whatever professional level he’s been at. So while Rice has put up great numbers, the question becomes how much of that production is because of Rice’s age and experience compared to those he plays against. What is more pressing however, is Rice’s lack of production against lefties. Rice was mostly shielded against left-handers in 2023, and for good reason. Rice batted .353 against right-handers in 2023, but just .217 against lefties. Take away the nine at-bats not with Somerset, and Rice’s .217 average drops to .176. A number simply not sustainable for a 25-year old likely first baseman still in Double-A.

This year is shaping up to be a make or break year for Rice. He made noticeable overall offense improvements and his numbers against right-handers are impressive, but the numbers against lefties are concerning. His catching defense will also need to substantially improve for him to have a future as a backstop. If Rice is forced on to first base full time, then his offensive numbers will need to take another leap forward. If, and there are a lot of ifs, Rice can make these adjustments, he does have major league potential as a starter. If he can make some of these adjustments, there is room for a Justin Bour-esque career in a first base platoon where Rice mashes righties but hardly plays against lefties. A lot of this comes down to 2024 simply because Rice is running out of time to make a jump to Triple-A and then the majors. All that being said, Rice did make considerable improvements from ‘22 to ‘23, and there’s no reason to write off his ability to do it again. He did get off to a good start so far, including homering off a left-handed pitcher in Somerset’s 5-4 Opening Day win over Richmond. The Yankees have faith in his abilities, and its time for Rice to go out and show it again.

Tom Kosensky's farm report from Tuesday.

tomkosensky.com/2024/04/09/yankees-milb-4-9-everson-pereira-hr-4-rbi/

It's been said he'd be up at the ML level on just about any other team. Hope he doesn't get buried in the Yankee system.

Durbin is obviously not a power hitter. Good contact hitter with speed on the basepaths. Had an excellent AZFL....353/.456/.588/1.045...just one shy of the AZFL steals record @ 21.