Ben Rice entered Tuesday tied for third in the American League with 25 home runs. Cole Burston / Getty ImagesJuly 7, 2026 Updated 1:33 pm EDTST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Cam Schlittler got his wish.Weeks before it was announced that New York Yankees first baseman Ben Rice would participate in this year’s Home Run Derby, Schlittler spoke about his own aspirations for the event.“I know Ben wants to do the Home Run Derby,” Schlittler said, “I told him I’d be his Gatorade guy.”Schlittler will have the opportunity to do just that. On Tuesday, Rice officially became the second participant in the event, joining Tampa Bay Rays slugger Junior Caminero. The Home Run Derby will take place on July 13 at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia.
Rice has emerged this season as one of the sport’s best all-around hitters. His 154 wRC+ is tied for fourth in MLB with Los Angeles Dodgers two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani. Rice’s 25 home runs are tied for the fifth-most with Minnesota Twins outfielder Byron Buxton.Rice’s dad, Dan, will be his batting practice coach in the contest. Dan was a pitcher at Brown University in the 1980s and continues to throw batting practice to his son during the offseason.It has been an eventful year for the lefty slugger. Rice had been one of MLB’s unluckiest hitters since his debut in 2024. All of his underlying metrics suggested that he could become a breakout star with better luck. That happened in 2026.“I think we’re going to see him continue to establish himself as one of the really good, legit middle-of-the-order bats on a really good offense,” Boone said before the season began.Rice has played like an American League MVP candidate through the first half of the season and is one of the key reasons the Yankees are currently a World Series contender.Now, Rice will have the chance to showcase his prodigious power on one of the biggest stages in the sport.
