Rice started as a first baseman and first batter in a 2024 Major League showdown with the Boston Red Sox at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx, New York, on the 7th (Korea time), and played a one-man show with three hits in five at-bats (three home runs), seven RBIs and three runs.

Rice was the 363rd overall pick in the 12th round of the Major League Rookie Draft in 2021. Rice, who was disappointed in sophistication in the minor leagues at the beginning of his joining, played in a total of 73 games in Single A, High Single A, and Double A last year, impressing with 89 hits, 20 home runs and a batting average of 0.324 OPS 1.049.

Based on his performance last season, Rice started his season in Double-A again this year, played in 49 games and was promoted to Triple-A after a show of force, drawing as many as 12 arches, and showed a strong batting performance with nine hits and three home runs in 11 games. As a result, Anthony Rizzo was called to the big league for the first time before facing the Baltimore Orioles on the 19th of last month as he was on the injured list.

Rice didn't hit a single home run in 12 games in June, but he wasn't bad with a batting average of 0.273 OPS of 0.708. And he hit his first home run against the Cincinnati Reds on the 5th, and he made his name right by hitting three missiles against Boston, the most famous rival in the Major League.

Rice's bat was on fire from his first at-bat. Rice faced Boston starter Josh Winkowski at his first at-bat as a leadoff man in the top of the first inning, and when a 91.2 mile (146.8 kilometers) cutter rushed to the center of the strike zone at the 6th pitch of 2B-2S, he gave his bat out vigorously. And the hit flew at a whopping 105.1 miles (169.1 kilometers) and connected with a solo home run over the right fence of Yankee Stadium. It was his second home run of this season.

Rice failed to take advantage of the opportunity by striking out Winkowski's fourth pitch cutter in the bottom of the second inning with two outs and a bases loaded with two outs, and in the bottom of the fourth inning with the score tied 3-3, he made a 103-mile-per-hour pitch (about 165.8 kilometers) and 361-foot-distance pitch (about 110 meters) against Boston's new pitcher Brennan Bernadino, but failed to produce additional hits when he was out after hitting a fly ball to center field. However, Rice's bat exploded again in the batter's box.

At the bottom of the fifth inning, when the Yankees started to take the lead again with 7-4, Rice hit a changeup that went to the center of the strike zone with two outs and runners on the first and second bases, and connected it to a three-run shot that flew over the right-center fence. The ball, which felt it was a home run at the same time as he left the bat, recorded a batting speed of 103.7 miles (166.9 kilometers) and a flying distance of 406 feet (123.7 meters). Rice's first two-home run game since his Major League debut. However, the home run show did not stop there.

Rice entered the batter's box at the end of the seventh inning with runners on the first and second bases with one out, and clashed with Anderson once again. When Anderson's ball was thrown at the center of the strike zone at 1B-0S this time, he swung his bat as hard as he could, and this time, his ball reaching 110.8 miles (178.3 kilometers) flew 406 feet (13.7 meters) before hitting a three-run homer once again over the right-center field fence. It was his fourth homer of this season. When Rice returned to the dugout after hitting his third homer, the Yankees asked fans to give him a curtain call, rejoicing over his stellar performance as if it were his job.

The Yankees completely overpowered Boston 14-4 based on Rice's show of force, where Rice set the team's first record. According to multiple U.S. media outlets, Rice was the 22nd player to hit three home runs in a game, but it was the first time in the team's history that a player on the major league stage had three home runs in a game in his debut season. This was the third time in the history of Major League Baseball after Andrew McCutchen (2009) and Mike Yastremski (2019), and the seven RBIs were the most by a Yankees rookie on par with Lou Gehrig (1925).

"It was an unforgettable day," Rice said after the game, adding, "It was a big win for us, a win that led to a good rebound, and I'm excited that I won my hometown team." Manager Aaron Boone gave the rookie a thumbs-up, saying, "It was a great game. It was a very important day to make a legendary day by hitting a home run from the first inning," while Oswal also praised Cabrera, "I heard a lot of good things about Rice, and he showed it properly."토토사이트 모음

The Yankees didn't expect much from Rice by looking at the order of nomination. Rice, however, was called to the big leagues by his "ability," proving it properly. A rookie monster appeared in the Yankees.