Ben Rice Joins Elite Yankees Club With 40th Homer

Ben Rice entered exclusive company on Wednesday night, hitting his 40th and 41st home runs of the season in the Yankees' 9-2 victory over the Rays. With these two blasts, Rice joined Aaron Judge and Joe DiMaggio as the only players in franchise history to achieve at least 40 home runs within their first three Major League seasons.

"It’s a cool milestone," Rice said of his accomplishment. "It’s not something you go into the season aiming for. You don’t really know how it’s going to go, but as I was approaching that number, it was definitely something I was hoping to achieve."

Rice's power surge has been crucial for the Yankees, particularly during periods when established hitters like Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton have been sidelined due to injury. Both Judge and Stanton face uncertain availability for the upcoming AL wild-card series, placing increased importance on Rice's continued performance.

"Just a complete hitter," Judge remarked about Rice. "Each year he’s gotten better, each month he’s gotten better. Even through bad slumps, he’s making the reads and making the changes he needs to [make] to get back to his normal self. So it’s been fun to watch."

Manager Aaron Boone had predicted Rice would hit 39 home runs this season. After Rice surpassed that mark over the weekend, Boone joked with him about the prediction. "I think I said, ‘Hey, there’s 40 for you,’" Rice recounted. "I was joking with him after the 41st one, saying, ‘Hey, thanks for inspiring me this year.’ But it’s all in good fun."

With 41 home runs, Rice is now tied for the American League lead and ranks third in Major League Baseball in that category, matching players like Yordan Alvarez, Pete Alonso, and Junior Caminero. His performance provides a significant offensive boost as the Yankees approach the postseason.