Overview

• Rice drilled a first-inning, first-pitch two-run homer off Brayan Bello in Game 2 at Yankee Stadium.
• The Yankees won 4-3 to level the series, with RBI from Aaron Judge and an eighth-inning go-ahead single by Austin Wells.
• He became the first Yankee to homer in his first career postseason at-bat since Shane Spencer in 1998.
• After hitting 26 home runs in 2025 while splitting time at first base, catcher and DH, Rice has drawn praise as a rising middle-of-the-order threat.
• A Cohasset, Massachusetts native who grew up a Yankees fan, Rice had reportedly drawn strong interest from Red Sox scout Ray Fagnant before New York drafted him in the 12th round in 2021.