Rice’s steady shortstop: Bocachica Jr. brings glove-first reliability with late-season flashes
In the 2026 season, Hiram Bocachica Jr. played 44 games with 36 starts at shortstop for Rice, hitting .213 with a .329 on-base percentage, 2 home runs, 15 RBI and 3 stolen bases. He’s a defense-first infielder with true shortstop value, and the encouraging part is that Rice noted he battled early offensive struggles, then injuries, but still showed a burst of impact with eight hits in a 14-at-bat stretch. If you want a middle-infield competitor who can handle premium defense and still has room to climb offensively, he’s worth your attention.
