The New York Yankees stayed confident despite losing Aaron Judge for the next 8 weeks. They are just coming off steamrolling the Chicago White Sox by 12-2, and that too without their best hitter around. Ben Rice is one reason behind the Yankees’ newfound confidence. With a .292 average and 20 HRs, he is currently leading the Yankees’ hitting chart. However, Rice’s recent remarks about participating in the upcoming Home Run Derby are what make the Bleacher Creatures hit the panic button.

The fans didn’t forget Jazz Chisholm from last year, and they want no repetition with Rice in 2026.

“Ben Rice says he would “love” to do the HR Derby and would participate if given the chance,” Fireside Yankees quoted the New York Post’s Dan Martin.

The 2026 MLB Home Run Derby will take place on Monday, July 13, 2026. The event will be held at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, the home stadium of the Philadelphia Phillies, as part of the 2026 MLB All-Star Week. To be broadcast by Netflix, the hit show is expected to be a starry affair, even though the reigning Derby champion, Cal Raleigh, will miss due to his injury-laden start.

None of the 8 contenders for the 2026 Derby have been finalized, but Rice is making him available. “If I were to get asked to go, I would love to do it,’” Rice said. “I have not heard anything about it, but sure, I’d be interested. I’ve watched it every year. It would be fun.” Till now, Vladimir Guerrero is leading the race among the AL’s first basemen in terms of fan voting. Rice’s willingness to participate in the HR Derby could make a difference in voting. But it comes with a risk.

Last year, Chisholm was batting .230 with 17 homers and 47 RBIs before the All-Star break. He entered the 2025 HR Derby and got eliminated in the first round. He could only hit 3 HRs, but the worst part was how he went into a noticeable funk at the plate shortly after the Derby. Reportedly, in his first 20 games out of the break, he hit just .197 with a .568 OPS and 2 HRs. The Yankees fans don’t want to see the same with Ben Rice. 

Rice is having a dream season this year after hitting .171 and .255 in the last two years, respectively. The Yankees are already missing Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton, and Trent Grisham. Rice is the one leading the offense. Even Boone is confident that the Yankees would survive without the key names missing. “I want to get those guys back, but the one thing I’ve maintained with you guys all year is I feel like we’re a deeper team than we’ve been in a lot of years and capable of withstanding some significant people being out of the lineup or out of the rotation,” Boone said.

Now, Rice missing out on his swing after the HR Derby would be the worst to happen to the Yankees. The fans took to social media, voicing their concerns.

The Yankees fans are left in panic

According to the Yankees fans, Ben Rice hitting in Derby is riskier than anything. “DON’T DO IT, YOU KNOW WHAT HAPPENED TO JAZZ,” one fan said. “I hope he doesn’t do it !!! His swing is perfect right now!” Another fan warned.

The Derby requires maximum-effort swings that force batters to target low-pitch, high-launch-angle home runs. This can cause a batter to develop traits like over-swinging, dropping their back shoulder, or pulling the ball excessively, which ruins their timing and plate discipline in standard games. Also, taking over 100 maximum-effort swings in a short timeframe places unusual, intense stress on a batter’s back, core, and shoulders. Chisholm couldn’t escape the impact, and the Yankees fans think Rice would face the same.

“Please no, everyone’s swing seems to get jacked up after they do that,” another fan added. No one faced the curse of HR Derby worse than Bobby Abreu in 2005. Notably, after scoring 41 HRs in the 2005 Derby, his swing mechanics were altered. He managed only 6 HRs in the second half of the season. According to Baseball Savant, Rice’s hard-hit% stands at 85 percentile and exit velocity at 89.

Yankees fans fear such a beautiful swing could be affected by the HR Derby. Other batters have faced it, and Rice will be no exception. “NO BEN, NO. Save that beautiful swing,” a request made by a user. “NO BEN, NO. It ruins swings!” Another agreed.

Rice would love to participate in the hitting show for the first time, but the Yankees fans are not loving it. Let’s see if the Yankees’ current best hitter listens to his fans.