Ben Rice added another line to his breakout season on Wednesday, and this one landed him in Yankees history.
The New York first baseman, batting leadoff as the designated hitter, went 3-for-4 with two home runs and a walk in a 9-2 win over the Tampa Bay Rays. He finished with three RBIs and scored twice, turning in the kind of all-around night that has become central to the Yankees’ lineup in 2026.
The power output pushed Rice to 41 home runs on the season, leaving him in a four-way tie for the American League home run lead. It also made him just the 13th player in Yankees history to reach 40 homers in a season.
Rice has been one of the Yankees’ most dangerous hitters all year. Through Wednesday, he owns a .263/.362/.537 line across 654 plate appearances, along with 41 home runs and 23 doubles. With Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton missing significant time because of injuries, Rice has been New York’s biggest threat at the plate for much of the season.
That importance could only grow in October. Judge said on Wednesday that he expects to be ready for the wild-card series against the Red Sox, which begins Tuesday, though manager Aaron Boone suggested otherwise. There’s also the question of how much Judge will actually give them, considering he managed just four hits in 24 plate appearances between injured list stints, with one home run and 13 strikeouts.
Rice has already put himself in the Yankees record book. If New York wants to make a real postseason run, he may have to keep writing the story.
In Other News...
Yankees May Get A Huge Opening In Game 1 Vs Boston
A week after suffering a hand injury, Boston first baseman Wilson Contreras is still trying to work his way back into the lineup ahead of Game 1 of the Wild Card series against the Yankees. He has not been able to swing over the last two days, though he has continued working with trainers in an effort to get the soreness down and regain enough comfort to play.
Red Sox manager Chad Tracy said Contreras has shown subtle improvement, but the club still does not have a firm answer on his status for the opener. For the Yankees, that uncertainty could matter, because Boston would be facing one of its key postseason bats while also trying to piece together an infield plan on short notice. [Read more 🡒]
Yankees May Have Landed A Wild Card Edge Before It Starts
The Yankees road into October got a little messier, and a little more favorable, in the final stretch of the regular season. With weather already forcing schedule adjustments around the league, including doubleheaders and possible game relocations, New York picked up some extra rest because of a moved game while Boston could still be dealing with one more game against the Cubs at Tropicana Field before the Wild Card Series begins.
For a Yankees club that is set to face the Red Sox right away, even a small change in recovery time can matter this time of year. Both teams are navigating the usual postseason squeeze of weather and injuries, and the setup leaves New York with a chance to arrive a bit fresher, even if the full picture of how the bracket settles is still being sorted out. [Read more 🡒]
Yankees May Have Found Their Aaron Judge Stopgap At Last
For a Yankees club still adjusting without Aaron Judge in the lineup, rookie George Lombard Jr. gave the offense a much-needed lift against the Rays. He was involved in the comeback from the start, producing runs with both his legs and his bat and showing the kind of all-around impact New York has been searching for as it tries to keep the attack moving.
Lombard also delivered the biggest swing of the night with a two-run homer, and he finished directly involved in four of the six runs the Yankees scored. It was the sort of performance that not only helped seal a win, but also offered a glimpse of a young player stepping into a far larger role while the captain remains out. [Read more 🡒]