My Take
Ben Rice is one of those guys who makes you do a double-take — a 12th-round pick out of Dartmouth (yes, an Ivy Leaguer) who somehow outpaced just about every expectation the Yankees had for him and made his big-league debut in 2024 at 25 years old. What I love about his story is that it quietly flips the script on the "can't miss" draft hype machine: no first-round fanfare, no viral showcase reel from high school, just a guy who kept hitting, kept grinding through the minors, and eventually forced New York's hand. Playing first base, catcher, and designated hitter shows real versatility too, and the Yankees don't exactly hand roster spots to guys who aren't ready. I'm genuinely curious to see how his career develops — the late-bloomer arc is always the most fun to watch.
Overview
Benjamin Kimball Rice (born February 22, 1999) is an American professional baseball first baseman, designated hitter, and catcher for the New York Yankees of Major League Baseball (MLB). Rice played college baseball for Dartmouth College and was selected by the Yankees in the 12th round of the 2021 MLB draft. He made his MLB debut in 2024.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Ben Rice
- Name (Japanese)
- ベン・ライス
- Reading
- べん・らいす
- Born
- February 22, 1999 (age 27)
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Pisces / Rabbit
- Origin
- United States
- Blood type
- Private
- Height
- Private
- Agency
- Private
- Occupation
- baseball player
2. Background
- Elementary school
- Private
- Junior high
- Private
- High school
- Private
- University
- Private
3. Relationships
- Spouse
- Private
- Children
- Private
- Parents
- Private
- Siblings
- Private
4. Personality
Motto
Private
6. Links
7. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-02
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public items are marked "Private / Unknown". English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.