Ben Rice’s breakout season with the New York Yankees has earned him another distinction, one that no other designated hitter in franchise history has achieved.
Rice was named to the All-MLB Second Team on Wednesday night, becoming the first Yankees DH to receive the honor since the awards were introduced in 2019.
The 27-year-old was recognized during the MLB Awards ceremony in Las Vegas, joining Houston Astros slugger Yordan Alvarez, who earned First Team honors at designated hitter.
Rice’s selection capped an impressive season in which he established himself as one of baseball’s most productive hitters, batting .264 with 41 home runs, 97 RBIs and an .897 OPS across 154 games.
The left-handed slugger ranked third in Major League Baseball in slugging percentage (.534) and fourth in OPS, while his 69 extra-base hits ranked sixth in the Majors.
He also finished with 16 game-winning RBIs, the fourth most in baseball.
Rice’s power production placed him in rare company in Yankees history, joining Joe DiMaggio and Aaron Judge as the only players in franchise history to hit at least 40 home runs within their first three Major League seasons.
His 41 home runs represented a significant improvement over the 26 he hit in 2025, while his OPS increased from .836 to .897.
Rice also earned his first All-Star selection in July and participated in the Home Run Derby.
His success continued into October, when he hit four homers and drove in nine runs in five postseason games before the Yankees were eliminated in the American League Division Series.
A 12th-round selection out of Dartmouth College in the 2021 MLB Draft, Rice made his Major League debut in June 2024 and has developed into a middle-of-the-order power threat over the past three seasons.
Rice wasn’t the only Yankees player recognized Wednesday.
Teammate Cam Schlittler earned First Team All-MLB honors after unanimously winning the American League Cy Young Award with a 14-6 record, 1.95 ERA and 239 strikeouts.
