Ben Rice headlines Yankees-Red Sox bat targets for Sunday Night Baseball

Sunday Night Baseball brings a familiar rivalry to the forefront, and Yahoo Sports’ latest prop preview for the Yankees vs. Red Sox game spotlights one Yankees hitter as the center of its bat-based betting framework. In the piece published June 28, Ben Rice is named first among three bats the outlet said it is targeting for the matchup on June 27.

The article is written in the style of a prop preview, focusing not on game outcomes but on individual batting profiles. Rather than treating the matchup as a full-team narrative, the approach centers on which batters could be more favorable for specific hitting markets. Rice is positioned as the leading example, reflecting the outlet’s view that his at-bat opportunities and plate-discipline profile make him a focal point for prop consideration.

What stands out is the outlet’s emphasis on “bats we’re targeting,” which indicates a multi-player lens. Even without discussing the internal logic of every batter, the structure implies a comparative method, selecting players from both sides and grouping them into a shortlist that can be used as a reference point when watching lineups settle and pitchers get confirmed.

For fans watching the Yankees and Red Sox, that focus can also be read as a reminder of how matchup-specific baseball has become in late-summer viewing. Props often reward the granular details, such as how a hitter’s tendencies line up against the opposing starter and bullpen roles that follow the first outing. The practical takeaway is not that one player becomes the story for nine innings, but that at-bats can matter disproportionately when you are filtering for specific outcomes.

The prop preview format also means the most actionable part for viewers tends to be what they can confirm before first pitch: whether the named players are in the lineup, how their order is set, and whether the teams’ pitching plan changes from expected starters. If any listed hitters are scratched or moved, the slate of targets can effectively change, even if the rivalry game itself stays the same.

With Sunday night games, the viewing window is short and the leverage moments come in clusters, especially in the middle innings where bullpen matchups start to take shape. That makes the “three bats” concept more than just a list. It is a way of telling viewers where to look when plate appearances shift from starter-based patterns to late-inning adjustments.

For what to watch next, keep an eye on Rice’s role in the Yankees lineup and how frequently he reaches key plate-appearance situations early in the game. Then, as the night unfolds, watch whether the other two bats highlighted by the outlet are used similarly often and whether the Yankees and Red Sox patterns match what a prop-based shortlist would assume. If you want a simple guide for the broadcast, these are the hitters the preview wants you to track most closely.