Ben Rice lived out his childhood dream on Wednesday night, smashing a two-run bomb in his first postseason at-bat to help the Yankees beat the Red Sox 4-3 in Game 2 of the American League Wild Card Series.
Beat up on hometown team
The 25-year-old rookie, who grew up in Cohasset, Mass., crushed a Brayan Bello cutter into the right-field seats, giving New York an early jolt after dropping Game 1.
“It felt amazing,” Rice said. “Coming off a loss, to set the tone in the first inning and give us the lead felt really good.”
For Rice, it was a full-circle moment. As a kid, he scribbled “Yankees Rule!” on Fenway Park’s Pesky Pole and wore a Derek Jeter jersey for his first-grade photo. Now he’s the one writing his name into the rivalry.
Hot hitting Rice
The homer extended a hot stretch for Rice, who belted two long balls in Sunday’s regular-season finale against Baltimore. He capped his first full big-league season hitting .255 with 26 homers, 28 doubles, and 65 RBIs in 138 games.
According to Elias Sports, Rice became the latest player since 2000 to homer on the first postseason pitch he saw, joining Lane Thomas (2024), Juan Yepez (2022), Evan Longoria (2008), Raul Chavez (2004), and Jason Lane (2004).
“Benny is swinging the bat so well down the stretch,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said, nicknaming him “Benny Barrels” for his elite exit velocity and hard-hit rate.
MORE: Who owned the mound on day 1: Skubal or Crochet?
Rice was left out of Game 1 against Boston lefty Garrett Crochet, with Boone opting for Paul Goldschmidt at first base. But Rice said he understood the decision.
“I know my role,” Rice said. “Yesterday my job was to be ready off the bench, and today I was starting. The approach doesn’t change.”
Whether Rice starts Game 3 against Boston’s left-hander Connelly Early remains undecided, but Boone didn’t rule it out.
“It’s not just about facing a lefty,” Boone said. “It’s about what kind of lefty. We’ll see.”
For now, Rice has already etched his name into Yankees postseason lore with one swing.
More MLB News:
- Who owned the mound on day 1: Skubal or Crochet?
- New York Yankees epic failure Tuesday night had never been done in MLB postseason history
- St. Louis Cardinals announce Oli Marmol will return in 2026
- Tarik Skubal leads loaded starting pitcher matchups for wildcard day 1
- Texas Rangers move on after Hall of Fame manager delivers their first title