Ben Rice has been one of the Yankees’ few true constants this season, the kind of bat that changes the shape of a lineup every time he steps in. What began as a chance to prove himself has turned into a full-blown breakout, with Rice emerging as one of the most dangerous left-handed hitters in baseball and one of the American League’s biggest surprises.
By the All-Star break, the numbers told the story loud and clear: 29 home runs, nearly 70 RBIs and an OPS hovering around .970. But the production has gone beyond the raw totals.
Rice has been stacking quality at-bats, driving the ball to all fields and backing it up with elite exit velocities, hard-hit percentages and barrel rates. This hasn’t been a hot streak dressed up as something bigger.
It’s looked real.
Just as important, his game has become more complete. Rice isn’t living only for the long ball.
He’s drawing walks, coming through with runners in scoring position and delivering in big moments. Whether it’s a moonshot or a double into the gap, he’s become the sort of hitter pitchers have to game-plan around.
That’s what made Monday night’s Home Run Derby such a curious subplot.
Rice took part in the event and made it a family moment by having his father, Dan, throw batting practice to him. That part of the night will stick with him.
The performance itself won’t. Rice hit only seven home runs, the fewest of any participant, and went out in the opening round.
Afterward, he said he got too anxious and started rushing his swing instead of staying within himself. Even so, he called it a success because of the chance to share it with his father.
The Derby, though, isn’t really the issue. What comes next is.
Baseball has spent decades arguing over the so-called "Home Run Derby Curse." Some players have fed the myth.
Bobby Abreu’s 2005 Derby was unforgettable, with 41 home runs in the opening round, but his production dipped after the break and the Derby took plenty of blame. Josh Hamilton’s 2008 showing, when he smashed 28 first-round home runs, is still one of the event’s signature moments, yet his second-half numbers fell enough to keep the conversation alive.
Aaron Judge’s 2017 Derby win in Miami brought the same question back again after his second-half production slipped.
And then there are the players who have made the whole thing look like nonsense. Pete Alonso has won multiple Derbies and kept hitting.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. has participated and stayed productive. Juan Soto has remained one of the game’s elite hitters no matter what the Derby stage looked like.
That’s why the debate never dies. Fans remember the slumps. They forget the guys who kept raking.
Now the question lands on Rice. Could one night spent trying to send everything into the upper deck mess with the smooth, controlled swing that has made him such a force?
Could it affect his timing? Could he start chasing power instead of letting it come naturally?
Or will this just be a fun All-Star Week memory attached to a first half that announced him to the sport?
There’s plenty of reason to think Rice will be fine. Everything he’s shown this year points to a hitter with discipline, bat speed and an advanced feel for the strike zone - not someone who depends on brute force alone. That kind of profile usually survives a temporary hiccup.
Still, baseball runs on rhythm, timing and routine, and even a small disruption can snowball. The Yankees need Rice to stay one of their most dangerous bats in the second half.
If he does, their offense keeps its punch and remains capable of carrying them deep into October. If the Derby throws him off, even briefly, it becomes one of the more interesting storylines to watch in the weeks ahead.
For now, the hope in New York is simple: years from now, Rice’s first Home Run Derby will be remembered as the night he officially arrived, not the night anything changed.
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De Pea has since given the Yankees plenty to like. The prospect has climbed into the upper tier of the system, now sitting 12th in the Yankees rankings, and his appeal is easy to see in the power and exit velocity that have stood out in the lower minors. For New York, the deal suddenly looks less like a clean break and more like a bet that may already be tilting in the organizations favor, even if the full verdict still has some runway left. [Read more 🡒]
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One possible fit has already started to generate buzz, with San Diego emerging as a team that could listen if the price is high enough. The catch, of course, is that any move for a reliever of that caliber would likely require a significant return, which is why this feels more like an early signal than a deal on the verge of getting done. [Read more 🡒]
Braves Linked To A Shortstop Gamble Fans Will Instantly Debate
Anthony Volpe is still holding down the Yankees shortstop job, but the conversation around him has only gotten louder. His offensive production and work in the field have drawn plenty of criticism, even as Derek Jeter has said the Yankees are high on Volpes potential and willing to bet on the upside that made him such a prominent part of their future plans.
Not everyone sees that patience as a virtue. Adam Schein has been openly skeptical about whether Volpe is ready for the majors, and the chatter has only sharpened as rival clubs start to enter the picture in trade speculation. With Jose Caballero having looked like an upgrade at shortstop, the Yankees are at least facing a real question about how long they can keep treating Volpe as untouchable. [Read more 🡒]