​The All-Star Game and the Home Run Derby are just around the corner, and Ben Rice has exciting news to share. After learning that he’ll be making his first Midsummer Classic appearance, Rice has also accepted an invite to compete in the Derby. The 27-year-old slugger sits at 25 homers on the season as of today and has continued to rake following a breakout showing last year. Rice revealed that his father, Dan Rice—who pitched for Brown University in the 1980s—will serve as his Derby pitcher, adding a personal touch to the event.
So far, the only other announced participant is the Rays’ Junior Caminero, but there’s already a strong case for either Rice or Caminero to claim the Derby crown even before additional contestants are revealed. A reminder of the event’s history: the last Yankee to win the Home Run Derby was captain Aaron Judge, at Marlins Park, during his memorable rookie season in 2017. And yes, fans still remember when he seemingly broke physics by hitting the roof that night.
On the broader landscape of the Yankees, MLB.com’s Bryan Hoch notes that a club as storied as New York is bound to pile up records, though some may tilt toward the wrong side of history. The team’s current skid reached a new low this week. The Yankees matched their previous day’s 17-strikeout performance on Tuesday, totaling 34 strikeouts over a two-game span—an unfortunate mark that eclipsed their prior franchise record of 31 strikeouts in two games. A rough stretch for sure, but not the entire story of what’s ahead for this franchise.
Turning to potential positives around the league, NBC Sports’ George Bissell highlights a possible return to health and rhythm for Max Fried. Fried is slated to face hitters in another live batting practice session at Double-A Somerset on Saturday, part of a cautious progression as he recovers from a elbow bone bruise sustained in mid-May. If everything continues to progress smoothly, there’s hope he could be back in the rotation before the end of the month, offering a much-needed boost to whichever team he represents.
Meanwhile, The Athletic’s Chris Kirschner weighs in on the ongoing debate at shortstop, where Anthony Volpe has faced questions about his production and where José Caballero could fit into the lineup with more regular playing time. Caballero did contribute two home runs on Monday, helping his team secure a much-needed win in a stretch of results that have been hard to come by. Yet, despite Caballero’s recent power display, his numbers over the past few weeks have been modest and closely mirror Volpe’s output, including a four-strikeout performance in an 0-for-4 showing. Still, Caballero brings a different voice and look to the lineup, providing a fresh visual for fans and analysts to consider as the season progresses.