Ben Rice’s 25th homer of the season on Monday night did more than give the Yankees a 5-1 cushion against the Tampa Bay Rays. It dropped him into a pair of rare Yankees power lists, the kind of company that usually belongs to the biggest sluggers in franchise history.
The first baseman lined the ball into the seats in St. Petersburg, Fla., and the swing came at a time when the Yankees badly needed some separation in the game. It also marked another big-number season for Rice before the All-Star break, even though his overall form has been stuck in a rough patch for the last month.
Rice now has multiple 25-homer seasons in his first three years with the Yankees, a group that includes Joe DiMaggio, Joe Gordon, Joe Pepitone and Aaron Judge. DiMaggio did it from 1936 to 1938, Gordon from 1938 to 1940, Pepitone in 1963 and 1964, and Judge in 2017 and 2018. Rice got there with 26 homers as a rookie in 2025 and now 25 more in 2026.
He also joined another short list: Yankees first basemen who have reached 25 home runs before the All-Star break. Tino Martinez did it with 28 in 1997, Jason Giambi did it with 26 in 2003 and 27 in 2006, and Mark Teixeira got to 25 in 2011. Rice has now matched that standard at 25 and still has games left before the midsummer classic.
The power itself is no surprise. Rice built his breakout on pull-side damage at Yankee Stadium, and he entered the season near the top of the league in hard-hit rate and barrel rate. That profile helped get him to the All-Star Game this year.
What makes the homer stand out is the timing. Since Aaron Judge went down in late May, Rice has been in a deep slump.
Entering Monday, he was hitting .200 with a .298 on-base percentage and a .391 slugging percentage in that span, with seven homers, 12 RBIs and a 91 wRC+. His minus-0.1 wins above replacement during the slide was one of four negative marks on the Yankees over that stretch.
The Yankees still need more from him, especially with Judge sidelined for weeks to come. Monday’s win pulled them within three games of the Rays in the AL East, but the margin is tight and the lineup has leaned heavily on a shrinking group of producers.
Rice’s 25th homer was a reminder of the ceiling he brings to the order. Now the Yankees need that swing to be the start of something, not just a bright spot in a month that has gone sideways.
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