New York Yankees first baseman Ben Rice expressed interest in participating in the upcoming Home Run Derby, though he has yet to receive an official invitation. Rice made his comments Tuesday ahead of New York’s 12-2 victory over the Chicago White Sox at Yankee Stadium.

Currently ranked second behind Vladimir Guerrero Jr. among American League first basemen in early All-Star fan voting, Rice is not guaranteed a spot in the All-Star Game scheduled for Philadelphia. Nevertheless, he said he would eagerly accept the opportunity if selected for the derby, which showcases some of Major League Baseball’s top power hitters.

“I have not heard anything about it, but sure, I’d be interested,” Rice said. “I’ve watched it every year. It would be fun.” His remarks came minutes before he hit his 20th home run of the season, putting him behind only Houston’s Yordan Alvarez and Minnesota’s Byron Buxton in the AL home run leaderboard.

Rice dismissed concerns that participating in the Home Run Derby could negatively affect his swing, a worry expressed by some other players. “I don’t think a few different batting practices would mess up my swing, and I think that’s all it would be,” he said.

Since the Yankees’ star outfielder Aaron Judge suffered a fractured rib, Rice has stepped up his offensive production. He has hit three home runs in the 12 games following Judge’s injury, although his overall OPS (on-base plus slugging percentage) has dipped from 1.056 when Judge was in the lineup to .735 during Judge’s absence.

As a key contributor to the Yankees' offense, Rice continues to demonstrate his power-hitting capabilities while the team navigates without one of its leading sluggers. His potential participation in the Home Run Derby would mark another significant milestone in his evolving career.