Yankees’ Power Duo: How Aaron Judge and Ben Rice Are Dominating MLB 2026

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[MyDaily = Reporter Shim Jae-hee] The New York Yankees have activated a potent two-headed threat in their lineup. Aaron Judge, 34, still commands attention, but 27-year-old Ben Rice has teamed with Judge and sits third in MLB in home runs.

Rice started the May 20 game (Korean time) at Yankee Stadium against the Toronto Blue Jays. Batting second and playing first base, he went 1-for-4 with a home run, two RBIs and a run scored. His two-run, go-ahead homer proved to be the difference in the win.

He delivered in the bottom of the fifth with the game tied 3-3 against starter Dylan Cease. With one out and a runner on first, Rice attacked a 2-0 inside four-seam fastball measured at 97.6 mph (about 157.1 km/h). He pulled the pitch over the right-field wall with violent bat speed.

The shot was his 16th of the season. Rice homered against the New York Mets on May 16 and 18, then added another two days later. He’s hitting .297 (46-for-155) with 33 RBIs, 36 runs, 25 walks, 45 strikeouts and two stolen bases. He’s also driven 10 doubles, sports a .671 slugging percentage and a .397 on-base percentage for a 1.068 OPS — the best mark in MLB, ahead of Houston’s Yordan Alvarez (1.038).

Rice’s go-ahead blast carried the Yankees to victory. After New York fell behind 0-3 following a three-run top of the fourth, the Yankees answered with three in the bottom of the inning to knot the game. Rice’s fifth-inning homer put New York up 5-3. Bullpens kept the score tight after that, and the Yankees held Toronto to one run in the top of the ninth to secure a 5-4 win.

New York improved to 30-19, stretching its win streak to two and raising its winning percentage to .612. The Yankees sit second in the American League East, three games behind the division-leading Tampa Bay Rays (32-15, .681). They hold an 8.5-game cushion over third-place Toronto (21-27, .438), which dropped its second straight and now shares third with Boston. New York is 1.5 games ahead of last-place Baltimore (21-28, .429).

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