New York Yankees first baseman Ben Rice is coming off a promising sophomore campaign, showcasing how his intriguing left-handed power plays with the short, right porch in the Bronx. Rice hit .255/.337/.499 with 26 home runs in 467 at-bats. While these numbers are already exceptional, this only scratches the surface of what Rice is capable of.

According to Baseball Savant, Rice’s metrics are elite, sitting in the 90^th percentile and above in xWOBA, xSLUG, xBA, average exit velocity, barrel percentage, hard-hit percentage, launch-angle sweet spot and chase. His expected batting average is .299 compared to his actual average of .255, which suggests he’s been unlucky.

Rice has clear untapped potential. Given his stellar metrics, it wouldn’t be surprising if the Yankees made him their everyday first baseman. However, that might be a bad idea.

Giving first base to Ben Rice limits the Yankees’ ability to improve 

The Yankees’ four-game loss to the Toronto Blue Jays in the ALDS was just the latest edition of their annual disappointment, which has plagued them since their last World Series title in 2009. And if nothing changes, we can’t expect a different outcome.

In the postseason, Rice wasn’t exactly the middle-of-the-order bat the Yankees needed, going 4-for-18 with two walks and eight strikeouts, though he did hit one of the team’s six home runs. While there is always the chance he can mature as a hitter, the Yankees have a lot they need to improve on, and there are some appealing first base options on the free agent market.

Among the top first basemen up for grabs are Josh Naylor (though he isn’t exactly a fan-favorite in the Bronx), Pete Alonso (opt-out), Munetaka Murakami, Kazuma Okamoto and Ryan O’Hearn. If the Yankees were to ignore this thriving first-base market, this would greatly limit their ability to improve.

Would acquiring another first baseman mean letting go of Rice? Not necessarily, the Yankees just need to develop him as a catcher and move Austin Wells into the backup role. In his second full year, Wells has shown no improvement at the plate, hitting .219/.275/.436 with 21 home runs. Should the Yankees sign an impact bat and replace Wells with Rice – or at least platoon them, since Wells is satisfactory against lefties – this would greatly improve their production.

Developing Rice as a backstop might not be an easy task, as he hasn’t yet displayed much prowess behind the plate. Still, if the Yankees can pull it off, this could be the difference between returning to the World Series and more of the familiar disappointment.