New York Yankees rookie Ben Rice has hit the ground running since coming up to the big leagues. Rice made franchise history on Saturday, smacking three home runs in one game against the Boston Red Sox in a 14-4 victory.
On Monday, Rice made an appearance on the Foul Territory TV podcast and learned that one of their employees, who happens to be a massive Bronx Bombers fan, shaved his head after Rice hit his third bomb over the weekend. The youngster was impressed by the dedication and said he'd do the same if New York happened to go all the way and win a World Series:
A bold promise from Rice, but it shows how much he does appreciate the Yankees fanbase. Saturday's win marked the end of a four-game losing skid for Aaron Boone's squad, who are currently 55-37. They're three games behind the Baltimore Orioles for first place in the American League East.
Ben Rice making his presence felt
Rice was promoted to the Majors in late June and has been playing very well. In 18 games, he's hitting .273 with four home runs and 12 RBI, also drawing eight walks and striking out 11 times.
Rice actually grew up in the Boston area but was always a Yankees fan, which undoubtedly bothered all the Red Sox supporters around him in Massachusetts. The organization drafted Rice in the 12th round in 2021. Boone has been extremely impressed with what Rice has brought to the table for the Bronx Bombers since joining the MLB club.
Via MLB.com:
“You see the calm at-bats he takes,” manager Aaron Boone said. “He understands the strike zone. He doesn’t flinch a bunch. Easy takes; you see the pull-side power that he has, too. He combines controlling the strike zone with some barrel awareness and the ability to hit the ball in the air from both sides.
“He’s coming off an outstanding year last year in the Minor Leagues that put him on the map and burst onto the scene,” Boone said. “He earned a trip to Spring Training and continued that through spring and then to start the year. He’s come up here and given us quality at-bats each and every day.”
Ben Rice looks to be a key piece of the Yankees' future moving forward.
Yankees' World Series chances
Despite being without Gerrit Cole for a big chunk of this season, the Yankees rotation has shined, sporting a 3.58 ERA. That's sixth in the big leagues. Even though Cole is struggling in his four starts since returning with an ERA over six, the likes of Marcus Stroman, Luis Gil, Clarke Schmidt, and Carlos Rodon are doing their part.
Offensively, Aaron Judge has come alive. He's went deep 32 times and owns an average of .308. Judge and Juan Soto are a dangerous combination at the top of the Yankees lineup. New York certainly has all the tools to make a run to the Fall Classic, but more consistency is needed. They're just 3-7 in the last 10 games.
The Yanks begin a three-game series with the Tampa Bay Rays on Tuesday.
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