You can’t have a Home Run Derby without the Bronx Bombers.
With Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton on the shelf, ascendant slugger Ben Rice will represent the New York Yankees in Monday’s highly anticipated slugfest at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia.
Before participating in his first career All-Star game, he’ll attempt to restore the club’s mighty reputation after the Jazz Chisholm Jr. disaster class last year in Atlanta.
The Yankees’ first baseman enters the eight-man power parade with the seventh-highest odds to win on DraftKings Sportsbook (+950).
Let’s dive into the top pick for Ben Rice at the 2026 Home Run Derby.
Ben Rice Home Run Derby Preview, Best Bet
Best Bet: Ben Rice Over 9.5 Round 1 Total HRs (+130)
The name, Ben Rice, may not immediately jump off the page in a field comprising superstars Kyle Schwarber, Junior Caminero, and Bryce Harper. But that only testifies to the fact that he’s being grossly underestimated on Monday night.
Here’s the reality: Rice has been the Yankees’ best hitter in 2026 — whether Judge is playing or not. The lefty slugger finished the first half of his third MLB campaign with a .971 OPS and 29 bombs, third-most in baseball and second behind Schwarber among derby participants. Rice has blasted seven bombs since June 30, tied with James Wood for first in MLB during that stretch.
Rice’s emergence may appear to have come out of left field, but it was actually a long time coming. His advanced metrics have consistently characterized one of the most complete power-hitters in the sport, consistently hampered by batted-ball misfortune. But Rice has shrugged off the bad luck in 2026 and heads into Monday ranking in the top ten percent of hitters in xwOBA (95th percentile), xSLG (94th), barrel rate (92nd), and launch-angle sweet-spot percentage (91st).
In other words, he’s battering the seams off of baseballs.
Rice has been preparing for the Derby since he was a kid, taking swings off his dad in the backyard. On Monday night, he’s bringing his original batting practice partner along for the ride.
This year’s Derby is returning to a swing-based format, affording hitters 20 hacks in Round 1 and 15 in Rounds 2 and 3. But if a player goes deep on his last swing of any round, he gets to continue mashing until he’s kept inside the yard.
Not only is Rice a strong candidate to crush double-digit bombs in the opening round — but he should be viewed as a dark-horse pick to win the whole thing.
2026 Home Run Derby Format Breakdown
- Swing-based format — no timer, outs, or bonus rounds
- Round 1: 20 swings
- Rounds 2 and 3: 15 swings
- Each swing counts toward tally, homer or not
- If a player homers on last swing in any round, can keep going until they don’t homer
- Tiebreakers:
- Round 1: HR distance
- Rounds 2 and 3: three-swing swing-offs
