Despite early exit, sharing stage with dad makes Derby a win for Rice

PHILADELPHIA – The most memorable snapshot of Ben Rice’s first experience in the T-Mobile Home Run Derby came on his final swing, waiting for gravity to bring a sky-high pop-up back toward the infield at Citizens Bank Park.

Watching it plop on the turf untouched, Rice moved immediately toward the mound, exhaustedly enveloping his father, Dan, in a hug. Rice was asked earlier Monday what would constitute a successful Derby, and in that moment, he seemed to be satisfied.

“It’s already a success that I’m in it,” Rice said. “It’s a ‘can’t lose’ mentality for us. We’re just going to go out there and enjoy ourselves. Hopefully, I hit a bunch of homers. Hopefully, we win it. But if not, it was a success because my dad and I got to do it.”

Rice slugged seven home runs in the first round, four of which traveled more than 420 feet. Rice’s longest blast was a Statcast-projected 443 feet.

Yankees right-hander Cam Schlittler volunteered to serve as Rice’s personal Gatorade assistant, though the first-time All-Star was never called upon. Cody Bellinger offered a few tips from his previous Derby experience, having also tabbed his father to pitch – former big leaguer Clay Bellinger.

But the experience almost certainly meant the most to Rice’s dad, a pitcher on Brown University’s baseball team in the 1980s who returned to the mound decades later to groove fastballs to his son.

“We’ve talked about just enjoying it and having fun,” Ben Rice said. “I think that’s the biggest thing for us, is to just go out there and enjoy ourselves.”

On chain-link fields across Massachusetts, Dan Rice spent years piling out of his car, carrying buckets of baseballs and an L-screen, a familiar routine that let them spend time together ahead of summer league games and Cape Cod League contests.

“My dad has always been there for me,” Rice said. “Every offseason, I’m going back and making sure I get my BP in with my dad. He always went the extra mile; he’d drive an hour-plus or two hours from Cohasset, and we’d go hit at a local field to get our swings in for the day.”

The Yankees’ team leader with 29 home runs, the 27-year-old Rice has become a staple in the Bombers’ lineup, including being named the American League Player of the Week earlier Monday.

The Yankees have experienced mixed results in the Derby over the years. Jazz Chisholm Jr. entered last season but was eliminated in the first round. Chisholm was New York’s first entry since 2017, when Aaron Judge won the competition in Miami.

Four Yankees have won the Home Run Derby: Tino Martinez (1997), Jason Giambi (2002), Robinson Canó (‘11) and Judge.