C/1B Ben Rice Called up by Yankees
June 18, 2024 - Eastern League (EL)
Somerset Patriots News Release
Somerset Patriots C/1B Ben Rice
(Somerset Patriots)
Bridgewater, New Jersey - The New York Yankees have announced the call-up of C/1B Ben Rice to join the major league roster.
Rice, the organization's No. 12 prospect according to MLB Pipeline, hit .275/.393/.532 with 45 R, 61 H, 12 2B, 15 HR and 36 RBI in a combined 60 games played this season between Double-A Somerset and Triple-A Scranton/ Wilkes-Barre.
Rice was slashing .261/.382/.511 with 36 R, 47 H, 9 2B, 12 HR, 26 RBI and 8 SB in 49 games in Somerset when he was promoted to Triple-A on 6/5/24. He continued his hot-hitting in Scranton with a .333/.440/.619 slash line in 11 games, adding 3 HR and 10 RBI. At the time of his promotion to Triple-A, Rice was tied for the Eastern League lead in HR. He began his Triple-A campaign by homering in each of his first three games at the level.
The Cohasset, Massachusetts native dominated in his two seasons in Double-A. Since joining the Patriots on 7/18/23, Rice led all Double-A batters with 28 HR, 74 RBI, 76 R, 51 XBH and 219 TB. Since that day, he also led the Eastern League with a .584 SLG and .977 OPS. His .296 BA, 53 BB and 22 doubles all ranked 2nd in the league since his debut. Rice hit .295/.392/.582 with 76 R, 111 H, 22 2B, 28 HR, 74 RBI and 15 SB in 97 games played.
Rice was named the Yankees' 2023 Kevin Lawn Award winner as the organization's "Position Player of the Year" prior to the start of this season when he batted .324/.434/.615 (89-for-275) with 62 R, 18 2B, 1 3B, 20 HR, 68 RBI, 44 BB and 11 SB in 73 combined games with Single-A Tampa, High-A Hudson Valley and Double-A Somerset. He was also named by MLB Pipeline as the Yankees' "Hitting Prospect of the Year" after ranking among qualified Yankees farmhands in home runs (7th) and RBI (T-8th).
Rice was selected by the Yankees in the 12th round of the 2021 First-Year Player Draft out of Dartmouth College.
He will become the 8th former Patriot to make his MLB debut this season and 34th overall since becoming the Yankees' Double-A affiliate in 2021.
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 Somerset Patriots C/1B Ben Rice |
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