Ben Rice Bio
Benjamin Kimball Rice, known professionally as Ben Rice, is an American professional baseball player who serves as a first baseman, designated hitter, and catcher for the New York Yankees of Major League Baseball. Born on February 22, 1999, in Cohasset, Massachusetts, Rice has emerged as a versatile and promising contributor within the Yankees organization. A product of Dartmouth College, where he balanced academics with athletics, Rice combines a strong educational foundation with a rapidly developing professional career. Since his Major League debut in 2024, he has become a notable name in the Yankees’ lineup and a player to watch in the coming years.
Early Life and Background
Benjamin Kimball Rice was born on February 22, 1999, in Cohasset, Massachusetts, a coastal town south of Boston. He grew up in a household that valued athletics, as his father, Dan Rice, had previously played college baseball as a pitcher for Brown University. This family connection to the sport helped foster an early interest in baseball for young Ben, even as his friends and neighbors in Massachusetts often rooted for the rival Boston Red Sox.
From a young age, Rice was a multi-sport athlete, beginning with hockey long before baseball became his primary focus. A lifelong fan of the New York Yankees, he idolized former captain Derek Jeter and dreamed of one day playing in pinstripes. He attended the Noble and Greenough School in Dedham, Massachusetts, where he played on the varsity hockey team as a freshman while also suiting up for the junior varsity baseball team as a second baseman and catcher. These formative experiences shaped his competitive drive and his path toward a career in professional baseball.
Path to Professional Baseball
After graduating from Noble and Greenough, Rice enrolled at Dartmouth College, where he played college baseball for the Dartmouth Big Green. During his freshman year in 2019, he received 72 at-bats, and the following year he appeared in seven games before the COVID-19 pandemic forced the cancellation of the remainder of the season. Determined to keep playing, Rice helped organize scrimmages among Ivy League baseball players in 2020 to stay sharp during the shutdown.
That summer, he played collegiate summer baseball in the Futures Collegiate Baseball League for the Worcester Bravehearts, where he posted an impressive .350 batting average with 11 home runs in 123 at-bats, earning the league’s Most Valuable Player award. With the Ivy League still paused in 2021, Rice joined the Braintree White Sox of the Cranberry Baseball League and also played for the Cotuit Kettleers of the Cape Cod Baseball League. He graduated from Dartmouth with a Bachelor of Arts in psychology in 2022, blending academic achievement with a growing résumé as a ballplayer.
Ben Rice Career
Early Career (2021-2022)
The New York Yankees selected Rice in the 12th round, with the 363rd overall pick, of the 2021 MLB Draft. He spent his first professional season splitting time between the rookie-level Florida Complex League Yankees and Single-A Tampa Tarpons, where he hit .197 in 23 combined games as he adjusted to professional pitching. The 2022 campaign saw him return to Tampa, where he played in 68 games and posted a .267/.368/.442 slash line with nine home runs and 36 runs batted in, signaling real progress at the plate.
His development continued rapidly in 2023, when he began the year at Tampa before earning promotions to the High-A Hudson Valley Renegades and Double-A Somerset Patriots. Across 73 games split between the three affiliates, Rice accumulated a .324/.434/.615 slash line with 20 home runs, 68 RBIs, and 11 stolen bases, proving he was ready for bigger challenges. He began the 2024 season with Somerset and was promoted to the Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders on June 5, where he batted .294/.428/.661 in 109 at-bats, forcing the Yankees’ hand to call him up to the majors.
Major League Breakthrough (2024)
On June 18, 2024, the Yankees promoted Rice to the Major Leagues, and he made his debut that same day against the Baltimore Orioles, recording his first hit in the third inning with a single to right field. The moment was a long-awaited milestone for a lifelong Yankees fan who had grown up dreaming of playing for the team he supported as a child. His early performance quickly turned heads across the league.
On July 6, 2024, in a game against the Boston Red Sox, Rice became the first rookie in Yankees history to hit three home runs in a single game, and his seven RBIs tied Lou Gehrig’s franchise record for a Yankees rookie. Despite this historic outburst, an extended slump followed, and he was demoted to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre in late August. Rice finished his rookie MLB season with a .171 batting average, .613 on-base plus slugging, seven home runs, and 23 RBIs across 50 games, gaining valuable experience that would fuel his next chapter.
Yankees Era (2025-Present)
Dedicated to improving his game, Rice added roughly 10 pounds of muscle in the 2024-25 offseason to enhance his offensive production. Following a strong spring training, he secured a spot on the Yankees’ Opening Day roster for 2025 and went on to produce elite offensive metrics while playing designated hitter, first base, and catcher. On May 11, he hit his first career grand slam against the Athletics, a memorable early highlight of his second Major League season.
Rice finished the 2025 regular season with a .255 batting average, .836 on-base plus slugging, 26 home runs, and 65 RBIs across 530 plate appearances, establishing himself as a reliable middle-of-the-order presence. He added to his growing postseason résumé by hitting a home run in his first career postseason at-bat during the 2025 American League Wild Card Series against the Boston Red Sox. His continued production in 2026 further cemented his role as a key piece of the Yankees’ lineup.
Driving Style and Strengths
Rice is recognized for his offensive versatility and his ability to drive the baseball with power to all fields. His athleticism, originally honed through years of competitive hockey, contributes to his quick reactions behind the plate and his range at first base. Coaches have praised his disciplined approach at the plate, his willingness to take walks, and his knack for delivering in high-leverage situations, making him a multi-dimensional contributor for the Yankees.
Notable Events and Milestones
One of the defining moments of Rice’s early career came on July 6, 2024, when he became the first Yankees rookie ever to hit three home runs in a single game, tying Lou Gehrig’s rookie record with seven RBIs in the process. His first career grand slam against the Athletics on May 11, 2025, and his home run in his first postseason at-bat later that year further underscore his flair for the dramatic. These achievements have quickly established him as one of the most exciting young players in the Yankees organization.
Ben Rice Family
Family Background and Athletic Lineage
Rice’s father, Dan Rice, played college baseball as a pitcher at Brown University, giving Ben a direct connection to the sport from an early age. This family foundation in baseball helped shape his understanding of the game’s demands and traditions, and it reinforced his lifelong dream of playing professionally.
Personal Life
Off the field, Rice speaks Spanish fluently, having first studied the language in middle school and continued taking classes throughout college. He further developed his fluency while working his way through the minor leagues, finding the skill especially valuable for communicating with Spanish-speaking pitchers on his teams. This linguistic ability has helped him build strong relationships inside clubhouses and embrace the diverse culture of professional baseball.
2025 Season Performance
The 2025 season marked Ben Rice’s true arrival as a Major League regular, as he posted a .255 batting average with 26 home runs and 65 RBIs across 530 plate appearances while splitting time between designated hitter, first base, and catcher. His elite offensive metrics, combined with his improved strength following an offseason conditioning program, made him a consistent threat in the middle of the Yankees’ batting order. A grand slam against the Athletics on May 11 stood out as one of the signature moments of his campaign.
Beyond the regular season, Rice delivered in the postseason by hitting a home run in his very first playoff at-bat during the 2025 American League Wild Card Series against the Boston Red Sox, showcasing his poise on baseball’s biggest stage. His multi-positional flexibility gave the Yankees valuable lineup construction options throughout the year, and he continued to build trust with the pitching staff through his work behind the plate. With momentum on his side, Rice entered the 2026 season firmly entrenched as a core member of the Yankees’ long-term plans.
