There’s plenty of generalized talk regarding the movement of power over contact. 1-for-5 with a home run being valued above two singles and a walk, that sort of thing.
However, the question still persists: what does the perfect modern hitter look like? Is it unseen bat speed that exclusively records extra-base hits? Or is it a generational swing path designed to pull every ball in the air?
Unless robot players come along with robot umpires, it’s unlikely that we’ll get to see a “perfect” modern hitter. At a point, something has to give, even for the game’s brightest stars.
However, that’s not to say that there aren’t promising blueprints on the field today. Just last year, Cal Raleigh’s 60-homer season legitimized the Pull-Air wave in player evaluation. Aaron Judge’s run of MVPs also serves as arguably the most dominant player archetype the game has ever seen.
However, this article isn’t covering either of those superstars. While some of their individual tools stand out enormously, we’re not talking about the best skills here. Instead, we’re looking for the best blend of tools. Which player has the most optimized skillset for modern day production standards?
To me, Ben Rice is the only correct answer to that question.
Elite pitch selection, leading to damage
When you watch Rice’s at-bats, everything starts with, and comes back to pitch selection. He’s an extremely patient hitter, as he waits for his pitch in every at bat.
Rice’s Chase% ranks in the top 7% of the league. He swings at less than 40% of the pitches he sees, while the major league average hovers just under 50%.
Even his zone swing rate is far below league average. Not only can he lay off most balls he sees, but he also spits on well-located strikes. Until he sees two strikes, Rice is looking for quality pitches, and doesn’t pull the trigger until he sees one.
This approach feeds directly into his second elite quality: Optimal launch angle. Ben Rice lands in the 86th percentile in Launch Angle Sweet-Spot Rate at 39.5%. Because Rice swings at so many good pitches (and so little bad pitches), he avoids rolling over or popping up. Predictably, it’s much easier to hit line drives on center-cut pitches than on bad pitches.
The combination of good swing decisions, and a consistent, smooth stroke allows Rice to get on base at a huge clip. Right now, not only is he hitting above .300, but he’s also walking over 15% of the time. His .415 OBP is good for 5th in all of baseball at the moment.
Good raw power, incredible results
At 6’ 2”, 228 lbs, Rice is a capable slugger with solid raw power. However, his swing speed actually falls just 0.5 MPH above league average. At first glance, that metric looks more like a 20-homer swing than a swing that’s actively on pace for 46 jacks.
However, as stated earlier, everything circles back to his amazing pitch selection. Ben Rice’s 59.3% Hard-Hit Rate ranks fourth in the league, among some of the game’s strongest sluggers. However, take a look at where all of his Hard-Hit balls have been pitched:
As you can put together, it’s not overpowering strength and electric bat speed that powers him. Instead, it’s simply a matter of swinging at the right pitches. The majority of these hard-hits are pulled, which allows him to get his hands extended for additional power.
While it almost feels like a knock on him, Ben Rice’s use of his home stadium has to be commended. As a lefty, Rice’s 23.3% Pull-Air rate bodes extremely well for his home run total.
With the Yankees’ infamous short porch at his disposal, Rice adds another aspect to his case for the best-optimized player in the league. Not only does he swing at the right pitches, hit them at the right angles, but he also uses his ballpark dimensions to his advantage.
None of those qualities are very talent-based— they’re actually technical. However, it’s these key qualities that have his OPS leading the MLB at 1.093.
At the face, Rice swings about as hard as the league average player, and whiffs just as often as the league average player. However, in virtually everything else imaginable, he excels.
Ben Rice’s breakout should serve as an example to player development around the league. Players don’t need top-of-the-line bat speed, or elite contact skills to succeed. In many cases, optimizing a skillset can be just as effective, if not more.
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