Ben Rice made Aaron Boone’s old prediction look modest on Wednesday night, launching two more home runs to reach 41 and pull even for the American League lead as the Yankees rolled past the Rays, 9-2, at Yankee Stadium. Ryan McMahon supplied a grand slam among his five RBIs, George Lombard Jr. homered, and Gerrit Cole completed his regular-season work with a sharp final audition for the postseason.
Key takeaways
- Rice’s 41 homers match Pete Alonso, Yordan Alvarez and Junior Caminero atop the AL.
- McMahon drove in five runs, including a bases-loaded blast.
- Cole allowed three hits across 5 2/3 innings and struck out eight in a 105-pitch outing.
- The Yankees have taken 10 of their last 14 games.
- Rice and Aaron Judge are the only Yankees draft picks with 40-homer seasons.
Rice reaches a new level
Earlier in the year, Boone had pegged Rice for 39 home runs, a number that Rice recognized as the manager’s familiar way of setting a target just below where a player might set it himself. Rice took care of that projection and kept moving, posting a career-best total in a season that already included his first All-Star selection.
His place in Yankees history is beginning to look just as notable as his place on the league leaderboard. Judge has done it four times, but Rice is the only other Yankees draftee to produce a 40-homer campaign. Within their first three big-league seasons, only Joe DiMaggio in 1937, Judge in 2017 and Rice in 2026 have reached that threshold in pinstripes.
Rice’s power will be central to the Yankees’ October hopes, particularly with the club expecting to open the American League Wild Card Series shortly after the regular season ends. Wednesday offered the kind of broad lineup production they will need: Rice went deep twice, Lombard added his own homer, and McMahon broke the game open with a grand slam.
Cole heads toward the Wild Card Series
Cole’s final regular-season line gave the Yankees another encouraging sign. The right-hander held Tampa Bay to two runs on three hits through 5 2/3 innings, issuing three walks while fanning eight. Cedric Mullins accounted for the Rays’ only long ball, connecting in the fifth inning.
Working up to a season-high 105 pitches, with 63 for strikes, Cole put himself in position for what is expected to be a Wild Card Series assignment. He closed the regular season at 10-9 with a 3.61 ERA over 22 starts.
That finish carries extra weight after Cole did not return until late May, following Tommy John surgery in March 2025. Now the Yankees head toward the postseason with Rice swinging like one of the league’s premier power threats and Cole having stretched out for a meaningful October start.
