Why Ben Rice is trending: six RBIs, a shared record and ‘Ben Arroz’

Ben Rice is drawing attention for his bat and his Spanish after the New York Yankees beat the Boston Red Sox 9–0 at Yankee Stadium on September 29. His six RBIs tied a Yankees postseason record, and AS USA reported on September 30 that his Spanish-language postgame answers attracted favorable reactions online.

The language skills have a history beyond this playoff performance. In a June 2025 interview with MLB.com, Rice explained that speaking Spanish helped him communicate with pitchers while catching in the minor leagues—and build friendships that might otherwise never have developed.

What record did Ben Rice tie against Boston?

Rice collected four hits, including a grand slam, in Game 1 of the American League Wild Card Series, according to Associated Press reporter Ronald Blum. AS USA reported that he hit two home runs. AP’s photographs identify Boston’s Brayan Bello as the pitcher who surrendered the eighth-inning grand slam.

The six RBIs put Rice alongside Bobby Richardson, Bernie Williams, Hideki Matsui and Robinson Canó for the most by a Yankee in a single postseason game. It is a shared franchise record. Rice’s performance added his name to that group without displacing the players already on the list.

What did Rice say in Spanish?

According to AS USA, a reporter asked Rice a question in Spanish during the postgame press conference, and he answered in Spanish. Asked about the adjustments behind his postseason performance, he emphasized consistency and sticking with his approach, the outlet reported.

That is AS USA’s summary of the answer; its article does not provide a verbatim Spanish transcript. The report describes appreciative social-media reactions and fans using Spanish nicknames based on Rice’s surname, but gives no aggregate audience or engagement count for the interview.

How Ben Rice learned Spanish—and became ‘Ben Arroz’

Rice started studying Spanish in sixth grade in Cohasset, Massachusetts. Offered a choice between Spanish and French, he chose Spanish because he thought it would be more applicable, he told MLB.com’s Bryan Hoch. He continued studying the language at Dartmouth, taking literature and culture classes conducted in Spanish.

“I just thought the language was fun to speak. I guess it was a good choice,” Rice said in that earlier MLB.com interview. As a professional, he added Dominican and Venezuelan dialects to his classroom learning and adjusted to the pace of everyday conversation.

The practical benefit extended to his work behind the plate. “As a catcher coming up through the Minors, it was really important to talk to pitchers so mound visits weren’t just silent,” Rice told MLB.com. He could offer his thoughts and better understand what pitchers were telling him.

Hoch also described Rice’s friendship with Dominican pitcher Juan Carela, who posted TikTok videos featuring ‘Ben Arroz.’ Separately, in Dartmouth Alumni Magazine’s May–June 2025 interview, Rice named ‘El Arroz’ as his favorite nickname at the time. Arroz means rice in Spanish; both interviews document the nickname’s history before this week.

Where did Ben Rice grow up?

Rice grew up in Cohasset, south of Boston, supporting the Yankees. His childhood allegiance followed his favorite player, Derek Jeter. “In baseball that was Derek Jeter, so I was a Yankees fan even though I lived near Boston,” he told Dartmouth Alumni Magazine.

His route to New York ran through Dartmouth and a college career disrupted by the pandemic. AP reports that Rice played only 30 college games over three years before the Yankees selected him in the 12th round of the 2021 draft. He completed his psychology degree between minor-league seasons, according to the alumni magazine.

How Rice built toward this playoff performance

Rice made his major-league debut on June 18, 2024. The following month, against Boston, he became the first Yankees rookie to hit three home runs in a game. The Red Sox were already part of a major milestone in his career before this postseason opener.

In 2026, he led the Yankees with 41 home runs, 97 RBIs and 105 runs while batting .264, AP reports. That production mattered with Aaron Judge missing most of the season because of a broken rib. Manager Aaron Boone credited Rice with recovering from a difficult stretch and finishing strongly.

Rice’s own explanation centers on routine: scrambled eggs and toast, consistent batting-cage work and a familiar daily timetable, with preparation adjusted for opposing pitchers. As he told AP, that consistency leaves him asking himself fewer questions during the day and ready when the game starts.