Ben Rice Named the Yankees’ Minor League Position Player of the Year

BRIDGEWATER, N.J. - Last Saturday, the New York Yankees announced Ben Rice was named the organization's minor league position player of the year, taking home the 2023 Kevin Lawn Award.

The annual award is dedicated to Kevin O'Brien Lawn, the son of Jack Lawn, the longtime Yankees' Vice President and Chief of Operations.

During the 2023 season, Rice played 73 games across three teams, Single-A Tampa, High-A Hudson Valley, and Double-A Somerset. He batted .324/.434/.615, knocking 89 hits in 275 appearances, including 18 doubles, one triple, and 20 homeruns.

In addition to his 89 hits, Rice scored 62 runs, while collecting 68 RBIs, drawing 44 walks, and stealing 11 bases.

Rice has racked up plenty of awards in the Yankees system, including being named the MLB Pipeline's Yankees' Hitting Prospect of the Year and the Eastern League Player of the Month. Rice was also honored by Baseball America as the Best Hitter for Average among the Yankees system in 2023 and was ranked as the Yankees No. 12 prospect. MLB Pipeline ranked him the No. 13 prospect within the organization.

Finally, MiLB.com named Rice an Organization All-Star in 2023.

Rice completed his education and collegiate baseball career at Dartmouth in 2022, graduating with a degree in psychology. In addition to his time at Dartmouth and in the Yankees' minor league system, Rice also played in the Futures Collegiate Baseball League and the Cape Cod Baseball League.

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