State of the Yankees’ System: First Base

First base had been something of a revolving door in the Bronx for years, dating all the way back to the departure of Mark Teixeira in 2016. The switch-hitting slugger provided years of All-Star level production at one of the game’s most important positions, but the Yankees were unable to find an immediate successor after his retirement. Greg Bird was heralded by many as a worthy replacement, but his career peaked with a towering home run off of Andrew Miller in the 2017 ALDS and didn’t amount to much else. He was quickly usurped by Luke Voit, who led Major League Baseball in home runs during the pandemic-shorted 2020 season but would never approach those heights again during a full year.

The front office plugged a hole and provided a much-needed spark by trading for Anthony Rizzo before the deadline in 2021, but the veteran lefty had only a year-and-a-half left before succumbing to Father Time. His decline was so steep that he went directly from starting games in the World Series to going unsigned in free agency. With first base as obvious a weakness as ever, the Yankees signed another veteran, Paul Goldschmidt, in an attempt to lock down one more quality season from a former All-Star as the team sought their second straight pennant.

Instead, they discovered that the future at first base had been within the organization all along in the form of Ben Rice. Goldschmidt proved to be a serviceable platoon bat, but Rice’s breakout season was one of the biggest stories for the Yankees in 2025. The lefty slashed .255/.337/.499 with 26 homers in 138 games and elite metrics across the board. If you’re a believer in bad luck at the plate, it’s reasonable to expect even more from Rice in 2026 and beyond.

Rice began his career as a catcher and will see some time behind the plate during Austin Wells’ off-days, but he’s locked into the top of the Yankees lineup and should start at first base for the foreseeable future. He’s not the best defender, but his bat more than makes up for it. Rice is by far the most exciting first baseman the Yankees have had in years, for now and for the future. Here’s how the position lines up behind him in the minor leagues:

J.C. Escarra could bounce between the big-league bench and Triple-A Scranton in 2026, and may see some starts at first base in the Bronx while Rice is behind the plate unless the Yankees pursue alternative bench options before the season begins. Other options at first base in Triple-A are T.J. Rumfield and Tyler Hardman, both of whom put up above-average numbers at the plate in 2025. Rumfield served as Scranton’s primary first baseman, and is likely to retain his role in 2026. The 25-year-old slashed .285/.378/.447 with 16 home runs in 138 games and an 11.9/18.4 BB/K%. His profile contains a steady blend of contact and power with above-average plate discipline and less swing-and-miss than you’d expect from a first baseman. He’s proven himself to be a reliable contributor at the plate, and could be a dark horse option to earn some at-bats in the Bronx should the Yankees suffer serious health misfortunes to their big-league lineup.

Hardman started at first in Double-A Somerset for most of last season, and it remains to be seen whether he’ll remain in that slot or earn a promotion to the highest level of the minors. As a right-handed slugger, his offensive profile is more in-line with what we’re used to seeing from a first baseman. He has tons of power and blasted 20 homers with a .230 ISO in 115 games last season, but it came with a dangerous 31.8 percent strikeout rate which is on the lower end of the numbers he’s posted throughout his professional career. Hardman posted a 119 wRC+ in Somerset, but he’ll need to make significantly more contact if he ever wants to reach the top of the ladder.

Another player worth mentioning in consideration to earn reps at first base around the Triple-A level is Ernesto Martinez Jr., a lefty slugger who tore up Double-A in the Brewers organization in 2024 and held his own in Triple-A last year. Martinez signed a minor-league contract with the Yankees in December with an invitation to Spring Training. Whether he can earn a spot in the big leagues at any point remains to be seen.

Further down the totem pole is Coby Morales, who was seen most recently in the Arizona Fall League. He was mysteriously absent from the lineup for more than two weeks, which would heavily imply an injury even though nothing was officially reported regarding his health. Morales went 9-for-27 in a limited sample in Arizona with one home run, three walks, and nine strikeouts. He was drafted in the 18th round of the 2023 MLB draft and had posted above-average numbers at the plate at every level before struggling mightily in 26 games at Double-A last year. Despite the struggles, if Hardman begins next season in Scranton, Morales may be the most likely candidate to start at first base in Somerset.

This would likely leave first base duties for High-A Hudson Valley to Josh Moylan, who has spent the last two seasons with the Renegades and is likely to open next season in their starting lineup. He’s posted similar numbers in each of his two seasons in High-A, with high walk and strikeout rates, middling power, and low batting averages. Behind Moylan is Hans Montero, who played all around the diamond in 2025 with Low-A Tampa and could be due for a promotion after posting a 122 wRC+ with the Tarpons in his age-21 season.

The first base options for Low-A Tampa currently project to be Jackson Lovich and Remy Veldhuisen. Lovich was drafted out of Missouri in the 16th round of the 2025 MLB draft, and hit the ground running with gaudy numbers in just six games in his pro debut with Tampa. He hit 12 home runs in 51 games during his final season in college. Veldhuisen repeated the Dominican Summer League last season after signing as an international free agent in 2024, and is not quite on the prospect radar just yet.