New York Yankees first baseman Ben Rice expressed his enthusiasm for participating in the 2026 Home Run Derby if Major League Baseball reaches out with an invitation. After hitting his 20th home run on Tuesday, Rice stands fifth in MLB for home runs and ranks 18th since last season, despite having only 93 plate appearances.

Rice stated, "If I were to get asked to go, I would love to do it. I have not heard anything about it, but sure, I'd be interested. I've watched it every year. It would be fun," during an interview with the New York Post. He believes that participating in a few batting practices wouldn't disrupt his swing.

At 27 years old, Rice has established himself as one of the top hitters in the league over the past two years. He made significant swing adjustments in the minors in 2023 and has improved through increased weight training since the 2024 season. His impressive stats include:

• Among league leaders in exit velocity
• High hard-hit rate

With Aaron Judge (rib fracture) and Giancarlo Stanton (calf strain) sidelined and unlikely to return soon, Rice emerges as the Yankees' prime candidate for the Derby. Historically, MLB has favored having a Yankee in the event for marketing reasons.

Last year, Jazz Chisholm Jr. became the first Yankee to compete in the Home Run Derby since Judge's victory in 2017. Notably, four Yankees have won the Derby: Tino Martinez (1997), Jason Giambi (2002), Robinson Cano (2011), and Judge (2017).