
New York Yankees first baseman Ben Rice impressed with an unexpected skill during his rookie season—his Spanish speaking abilities. The 26-year-old from Massachusetts was able to communicate with many Spanish speaking opponents unprompted during the 2024 season, which surprised several players, including Reds All-Star Elly De La Cruz.
"Elly De La Cruz," Rice recalled, via Fireside Yankees. "Talking to him was fun. He hit a line drive at me the inning before, and I jumped up and caught it so I robbed him of a hit. Then when he got to first base ... we started talking and I started talking Spanish with him. He was just very surprised because I'm very unassuming. To speak that Dominican Spanish with him was fun."