{
  "id": 9450718,
  "title": "Ben Rice becomes second Yankees draft pick to hit 40 homers in season",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/24/ben-rice-becomes-second-yankees-draft-pick-to-hit-40-homers-in-season",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-09-24T00:32:56.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Yahoo Sports",
    "slug": "yahoo-sports",
    "url": "https://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/article/ben-rice-becomes-second-yankees-draft-pick-to-hit-40-homers-in-season-003256562.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Ben Rice, a first baseman for the New York Yankees, is on the verge of making history after hitting his 40th homer of the season. This achievement marks him as the second Yankees draft pick to accomplish this feat, joining Aaron Judge. The milestone was reached on Wednesday during a game against the Tampa Bay Rays, where Rice opened the scoring in the first inning with a no-doubter off a first-pitch sinker from Rays starter Mason Englert. He added another homer in the fourth inning, putting him in a four-way tie for the American League lead with Pete Alonso, Yordan Alvaraz, and Junior Caminero. This accomplishment places Rice in an elite group of players, as only two Yankees draft picks have hit 40 homers in a season. The list includes Aaron Judge, Roger Maris, Babe Ruth, Mickey Mantle, Alex Rodriguez, Lou Gehrig, Joe DiMaggio, Tino Martinez, Curtis Granderson, Jason Giambi, and Reggie Jackson. These players either joined the Yankees through the draft or were previously part of their organization before making history with their 40-homer seasons.",
  "summary": "Yes, only two. Ben Rice and Aaron Judge.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Yahoo Sports",
        "title": "Yankees news: Ben Rice joins Aaron Judge in exclusive all-time Yankees club",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/24/yankees-news-ben-rice-joins-aaron-judge-in-exclusive-all-time-yankees",
        "published": "2026-09-24T01:57:23.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}