​Since announcing his intent to participate in this year’s Home Run Derby during the All-Star break, Ben Rice has been on a power surge for the Yankees. After launching a homer on Tuesday, the very day he committed to the event, Rice followed up with two more long balls on Thursday in the series finale against the Tampa Bay Rays, helping New York to a 12-4 victory and a split of the four-game set. In total, Rice went 7-for-16 over those four games against the division rival, blasting four homers and driving in nine runs. The 27-year-old now sits at 28 home runs on the season, second in the American League, and already ahead of his total from 2025, when he hit 26 across 138 games in what was his breakout campaign.
What stands out is that Rice shows no signs of cooling off. He reflected on what has made this season so remarkable and how he’s built on last year’s offensive surge. “Just sticking with it overall,” he said. “Like I’ve said before, it’s such a long year. You’re bound to go through ups and downs. I’ve leaned on the guys in the clubhouse and the locker room, stayed with my approach, stayed convicted in it, and hoped good things would happen.”
Whatever approach Rice is using, it’s clearly paying off, and it has the Yankees feeling buoyant even with Aaron Judge sidelined by a fractured rib. Judge’s injury will require re-imaging during the All-Star break, leaving Rice to carry more of the load during this stretch.
Speaking of the break, Rice is expected to continue employing the same method when he participates in the Home Run Derby on July 13, aiming to secure the crown in his first appearance. Among his rivals, Junior Caminero is also lighting up the scoreboard, having hit his 27th homer on Thursday, just behind Rice. At that moment, Caminero briefly moved ahead of Rice, but Rice tied it with his second homer of the game two innings later and then surged ahead.
Of the five confirmed Derby participants this year, Rice and Caminero are the two leaders in total home runs, a factor that could make them among the favorites to win. Caminero’s strong showing in last year’s Derby—where he stunned as the runner-up to Cal Raleigh—might give him a slight edge in experience, but Rice is determined to show that his current season’s numbers are no fluke and that his relentless work since his MLB debut in 2024 is translating into real, sustained success.
After Thursday’s win, Rice’s mindset was squarely on his team and the importance of finishing strong before the break. “It’s big time. It’s big for the morale heading into this last series before the break,” he said. “Just kind of getting everyone rolling again and firing on all cylinders feels good.” As New York enters the final stretch before the All-Star break, Rice’s hot bat has the offense buzzing, the Derby in sight, and the Yankees hopeful that this momentum carries them into the second half of the season.