Benjamin Kimball Rice Bio
Benjamin Kimball Rice (born February 22, 1999) is an American professional baseball player for the New York Yankees. Rice is listed as a first baseman, designated hitter and catcher and made his Major League Baseball debut in 2024 after being selected by the Yankees in the 12th round of the 2021 MLB draft.
Rice developed a reputation as a multi-positional hitter with power during his first seasons in professional baseball and at Dartmouth College. He has seen time at first base, behind the plate and as a designated hitter while contributing power and run production for the Yankees since his promotion to the majors.
Early Life and Background
Benjamin Kimball Rice was born in Cohasset, Massachusetts, on February 22, 1999. He grew up in Cohasset and began his athletic life playing hockey before focusing on baseball, competing at Noble and Greenough School in Dedham, Massachusetts.
Rice grew up a fan of the New York Yankees and has cited Derek Jeter as an early favorite. His father, Dan Rice, played college baseball as a pitcher for Brown University, providing a direct family connection to the sport during Rice’s upbringing.
Path to Baseball
At Noble and Greenough School Rice began as a catcher and second baseman while also playing varsity hockey during his freshman year. After high school he enrolled at Dartmouth College, where he played for the Dartmouth Big Green and developed into a productive collegiate hitter.
During the summers he competed in wood-bat and summer collegiate leagues, including a standout stint with the Worcester Bravehearts in the Futures Collegiate Baseball League where he hit .350 with 11 home runs in 123 at bats and earned the league’s most valuable player award. He also played for the Cotuit Kettleers of the Cape Cod Baseball League.
Benjamin Kimball Rice Career
Early Career (2021–2023)
The New York Yankees selected Rice in the 12th round, 363rd overall, of the 2021 MLB draft. He began his professional career splitting time between the rookie-level Florida Complex League Yankees and the Single-A Tampa Tarpons in 2021.
Rice returned to Tampa in 2022 and posted a .267/.368/.442 line with nine home runs and 36 RBIs across 68 games. In 2023 he began the season with Tampa and progressed through High-A Hudson Valley and Double-A Somerset, finishing the year with a combined .324/.434/.615 slash line, 20 home runs, 68 RBIs and 11 stolen bases across 73 games.
Major League Breakthrough (2024–2025)
Rice began 2024 with the Double-A Somerset Patriots and received a promotion to the Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders on June 5, 2024, where he hit .294/.428/.661 in 109 at bats. On June 18, 2024, the Yankees promoted Rice to the major leagues and he made his MLB debut that day against the Baltimore Orioles, recording his first major league hit with a single to right field in the third inning.
During his rookie stint in 2024, Rice produced a historic performance on July 6, 2024, against the Boston Red Sox when he became the first rookie in Yankees history to hit three home runs in a single game; he also collected seven RBIs that day, matching Lou Gehrig’s record for a Yankees rookie. After an initial hot stretch, Rice experienced an extended slump and was optioned to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre in late August, finishing the MLB portion of the season with a .171 batting average, a .613 OPS, seven home runs and 23 RBIs in 50 games.
Following the 2024 season Rice added roughly 10 pounds of muscle in the offseason and entered 2025 with improved strength. He made the Yankees’ Opening Day roster in 2025 and saw regular work as a designated hitter, first baseman and catcher. On May 11, 2025, he hit his first career grand slam against the Oakland Athletics. Rice finished the 2025 regular season with a .255 batting average, an .836 OPS, 26 home runs and 65 RBIs in 530 plate appearances and homered in his first postseason at-bat during the 2025 American League Wild Card Series against Boston.
New York Yankees Era (2024–Present)
Rice has worn No. 22 for the New York Yankees since his arrival in the major leagues. The Yankees organization developed his versatility by giving him opportunities at multiple positions, and the club used him as a left-handed power option against a range of pitching matchups.
Across his early major league seasons Rice has shown an ability to generate extra-base hits and to provide occasional positional flexibility behind the plate. By mid-2026 his cumulative MLB statistics included home run totals and run production that underlined his evolving role as a power contributor in the Yankees lineup.
Playing Style and Strengths
Rice profiles as a power-oriented left-handed hitter who combines a strong lower half and bat speed to drive the ball to the pull side. His time at catcher and first base adds value through positional flexibility, and he has been noted for an aggressive approach with a focus on elevating pitches to produce home runs and extra-base hits.
Notable Events and Milestones
Key milestones in Rice’s early professional career include his MLB debut on June 18, 2024, his three-home-run rookie game on July 6, 2024, which set a Yankees rookie record, and his first career grand slam on May 11, 2025. He also homered in his first postseason plate appearance in the 2025 American League Wild Card Series.
Benjamin Kimball Rice Career Wins
Rice’s verified offensive achievements include a steady power progression through the minor leagues and several landmark moments in the majors. His first seasons in professional baseball demonstrated growth from a developmental prospect into a regular contributor at the major league level.
MLB Highlights
Rice’s MLB highlights include his historic three-homer game on July 6, 2024, the first by a Yankees rookie, and his 2025 regular-season performance in which he hit 26 home runs while posting a .255 batting average and an .836 OPS across 530 plate appearances. By June 30, 2026, publicly reported MLB totals listed 56 home runs, 142 RBIs and a .245 batting average through that date.
Other Wins & Perfromances
Before reaching the majors Rice won a Futures Collegiate Baseball League MVP award with the Worcester Bravehearts and produced strong minor-league campaigns, notably a 2023 combined season across three levels that featured 20 home runs and a .324 batting average. His steady climb through Tampa, Hudson Valley and Somerset showcased increased power and plate discipline.
Benjamin Kimball Rice Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Rice’s father, Dan Rice, played college baseball as a pitcher for Brown University. That collegiate baseball background informed Rice’s early exposure to baseball and provided a family link to the sport.
Personal Life
Rice learned Spanish in middle school and continued study in college, later practicing the language in the minor leagues to communicate with Spanish-speaking teammates and pitchers. He graduated from Dartmouth College in 2022 with a Bachelor of Arts in psychology.
2025 Season Performance
The 2025 season marked Rice’s first full major league campaign and established him as a regular contributor for the New York Yankees. After making the Opening Day roster he produced improved offensive metrics, totaled 26 home runs and 65 RBIs, and delivered several key moments including a grand slam and a postseason home run in the Wild Card Series.
Rice’s 2025 role combined starting opportunities and situational matchups as the Yankees leveraged his left-handed power. The season positioned him as a developmental core piece with the potential to sustain power production while refining consistency at the plate and behind it.