From Ivy League student to Yankee powerhouse: the rise of Ben Rice
In short: He was once organizing scrimmage games to keep the Ivy League season alive during a pandemic. Now, this former Dartmouth student is rewriting the New York Yankees' record books, proving that even a late-round draft pick can transform into an All-Star.
Born in 1999 in Cohasset, Massachusetts, Benjamin Kimball Rice did not follow the traditional path of a baseball prodigy. A former hockey player who grew up idolizing Derek Jeter, Rice attended the Noble and Greenough School before enrolling at Dartmouth College. His collegiate career was marked by resilience; when the 2020 pandemic cancelled the baseball season, he helped organize scrimmages for Ivy League players to maintain competition.
Rice’s professional ascent began in the 2021 MLB draft, where the Yankees selected him in the 12th round with the 363rd overall pick. After signing for a $125,000 bonus, he climbed through the minor league ranks, showing significant power with the Somerset Patriots and the Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders. His 2024 debut with the Yankees was nothing short of historic. On July 6, 2024, he became the first rookie in franchise history to hit three home runs in a single game, a performance that saw him drive in seven runs—matching a record held by the legendary Lou Gepland.
Despite an early slump that saw him demoted to Triple-A in late August 2024, Rice returned in 2025 with a physically stronger frame, having added roughly 10 pounds of muscle during the offseason. This transformation led to an elite offensive season, including a grand slam against the Athletics and a postseason home run against Boston. By 2026, his evolution was complete as he earned an MLB All-Star selection and participated in the Home Run Derby, cementing his place as a central figure in the Yankees' lineup.
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- Summary by Intellect · source: Ben Rice
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