Philadelphia fans made their feelings known the moment New York Yankees first baseman Ben Rice stepped onto the field for Monday’s Home Run Derby at Citizens Bank Park. The chorus of boos that greeted the Yankees slugger was loud enough to become one of the memorable moments of the night, but Rice didn’t take it personally. Instead, he embraced the atmosphere and walked away appreciating the experience despite an early exit from the competition.
Rice managed just seven home runs in the opening round, ending his Derby appearance sooner than he had hoped. Even so, the final tally wasn’t what stood out most to him afterward. The 27-year-old admitted that hearing thousands of opposing fans shower him with boos was something he actually enjoyed.
Ben Rice Embraces Hostile Home Run Derby Welcome
“The boos were crazy, especially in the opening ceremony,” Rice said after the event. “It was so cool. I always like the saying ‘they don’t boo nobodies,’ so it was really cool to just hear them rain down on me, and even in the round, too. It was fun.”
For many players, the Home Run Derby is as much about the memories as the competition itself, and Rice had an especially meaningful one. His father, a former pitcher at Brown University, served as his pitcher during the event, giving the two a rare opportunity to share one of baseball’s biggest stages together.
“That was sick,” Rice said. “Just getting to be out there with my dad, hearing all the boos and everything. I was just trying to take it all in. It was so fun.”
A Strong First Half Gives the Yankees Confidence
While Rice’s performance didn’t produce a deep Derby run, the experience added another milestone to what has already been an impressive 2026 season. Before the All-Star break, statistics showed Rice leading qualified Yankees hitters with a .279 batting average while also pacing the club with 29 home runs, 68 RBI, and a .971 OPS. Those numbers have helped establish him as one of the key offensive contributors in New York’s lineup.
Before participating, Rice dismissed concerns that the Home Run Derby might negatively affect his swing during the second half of the season, a topic that often resurfaces whenever sluggers enter the contest. Yankees manager Aaron Boone will be hoping Rice’s production continues uninterrupted as New York pushes toward the postseason.
Rice Looks Ahead to the Rest of the Season
Asked whether he would compete in another Home Run Derby if given the opportunity, Rice wasn’t ready to make any promises but made it clear the experience left a positive impression.
“We’ll see, we’ll see. We’ll think about it,” Rice said. “If I ever got the chance, I’d definitely consider it, but we’ll see. Even just when I stepped foot out there, just looked at my dad, and we just smiled at each other, and we were like, ‘Let’s go, let’s take some swings.’ So it was super cool.”
The Yankees, who enter the second half of the season with a 54-42 record, won’t have much time to dwell on the All-Star festivities. New York returns to action Friday night when it begins a three-game home series against the Los Angeles Dodgers, who arrive with a 61-36 record in what promises to be one of the marquee matchups of the weekend. Rice will now look to carry his first-half momentum back into meaningful regular-season games, with the Home Run Derby serving as a memorable stop along the way rather than the defining moment of his summer.
