Yankees' Ben Rice to participate in Home Run Derby during MLB All-Star Week
Yankees' Ben Rice celebrates with teammates in the dugout after hitting a home run in the ninth inning against the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field on Monday in St Petersburg, Fla. Credit: Getty Images/Julio Aguilar
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – Ben Rice’s first All-Star appearance will involve more than just the game next Tuesday.
The Yankees first baseman/DH announced on Instagram late Tuesday morning that he committed to participate in Monday night’s Home Run Derby in Philadelphia’s Citizens Bank Park.
The lefty-swinging Rice, who leads the Yankees in homers with 25, indicated his father, Dan, a former pitcher for Brown University, will throw to him.
The 27-year-old Rice, who hit 26 homers last season, will try to become the first Yankee to win the Derby since Aaron Judge put on a memorable show in Miami in 2017, his AL Rookie of the Year season.
Jazz Chisholm Jr. participated in last year’s event in Atlanta but was eliminated in the first round, hitting just three homers. Cal Raleigh of the Mariners became first catcher in the event’s history to win, besting Junior Caminero of the Rays.
Other current Yankees who have entered the Derby over the years include Cody Bellinger (who, then with the Dodgers, was eliminated by Judge in the semifinals in 2017), and injured DH Giancarlo Stanton, who won the event in 2016 while with the Marlins and was knocked out in 2017 in the first round by Yankees catcher Gary Sanchez.
Rice will try to join Tino Martinez (1997), Jason Giambi (2002), Robinson Cano (2011) and Judge as Yankees who have won the Derby.
Erik Boland started in Newsday's sports department in 2002. He covered high school and college sports, then shifted to the Jets beat. He has covered the Yankees since 2009.
