Ben Rice is going to the Home Run Derby. The 27-year-old Yankees first baseman confirmed Tuesday that he will compete in the event at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia on July 13, and that his father Dan, who pitched in college at Brown University in the 1980s, will be throwing batting practice to him during the competition.
"I was really honored. I was hoping they'd ask," Rice said after going deep again Tuesday in a 6-4 loss to Tampa Bay, his 26th home run of the season and his team-leading total. "It doesn't feel real until they actually reach out, but it was cool when they did."
The father-son dynamic is the story underneath the story.
Rice and his dad have been doing this since he was a child, Dan throwing, Ben hitting, and that relationship has been part of how Rice developed into a legitimate power hitter.
"I had to think through it and make sure it was the right decision to participate and see if my dad could do it," Rice said. They have already started practicing for it.
Rice has 59 home runs across his first three major league seasons since debuting in 2024. He would become the first Yankees player to win the Home Run Derby since Aaron Judge in 2017 if he takes it.
The full field has not yet been announced, Tampa Bay's Junior Caminero is also confirmed. The All-Star Game is July 15. The Derby is two days before.