<p>Newsday&#39;s MLB columnist David Lennon breaks down the state of the Yankees at the All-Star break and what fans might be able to expect in the second&nbsp;half of the 2026 season.</p>


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The state of the 2026 Yankees at the All-Star Break

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'A tale of two first halves'

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With his father Dan pitching, Rice finished with only seven home runs, the lowest total of the first round.

Yankees' Rice comes up short in Home Run Derby

Before the Yankees' ace made it public he wasn't going to pitch in the All-Star Game, Blue Jays manager John Schneider went with his guy, Dylan Cease.

Lennon: Schlittler says 'no hard feelings' about All-Star starter snub. Should we believe him?

"This kid did his stuff on his own to our scouting department without the assistance of Andy pushing it or talking about it or anything like that," scouting director Damon Oppenheimer said.

Yankees scouting director: Andy Pettitte not a factor in drafting son Luke

"There was no end game as part of any of this," Dan Rice told Newsday. "It's just we love baseball, and the kid loved to hit, and I love to throw. It was fun."

Father throws best: How Ben Rice's BP bond with father led them to Home Run Derby

In this video provided by Dan Rice, he throws to his son and future Yankee Ben Rice during a batting practice session in 2020.

Ben Rice takes BP with his dad

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"He was everyone's friend. He cared about lifting people up, being a good role model to kids," his brother Chris DeRosa said.

LI school athletic director dies at 42

But don't expect him to join the organization just yet, as he plans to spend a year in Sweden before competing for a roster spot with the Islanders.

Isles first-rounder Malte Gustafsson signs entry-level deal

Newsday's MLB columnist David Lennon breaks down the state of the Yankees at the All-Star break and what fans might be able to expect in the second half of the 2026 season.

Martino spent eight seasons as a full-time "MLB insider" on SNY but was was hired by the Mets in January for the unique role of "team reporter and host."

How Andy Martino became a different type of 'insider' with the Mets

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Suffolk County officials Monday warned of scammers, preying primarily on the elderly, who direct people to liquidate their life savings to buy gold bars. NewsdayTV's Virginia Huie reports.

Gold bar scam warning in Suffolk County

NewsdayTV's Doug Geed heads to a new restaurant opened by the same owners who created Westhampton Beach Brewery.

Out East: Brewery opens new restaurant

NewsdayTV's Ken Buffa visited Garcia's Taco Bar in Brentwood to try their birria ramen.

Trendy Bites: Birria ramen

NewsdayTV's Marie Elena Martinez got a sneak peek at the new Babylon Whiskey Down Diner location, which is currently under construction with plans to open in the fall.

Take a peek inside Whiskey Down Diner's new location

For a quick trip not far from home, NewsdayTV's Elisa DiStefano checks out the Rockaway Hotel.

A getaway close to home for mom

A weaver from Huntington helped hide guns from the British at his home. NewsdayTV's Doug Geed reports.

America 250: The arsenal in Huntington

Joe Tosini, owner of River Center Shopping Center in Riverhead, said the businesses in the center lost power during Saturday's storms and that their electricity wasn't restored until late Tuesday afternoon. NewsdayTV's Shari Einhorn reports.

Riverhead shopping center back in business after 3-day power outage

NewsdayTV's Elisa DiStefano joined the volunteers of Save the Great South Bay to clean oysters. The oysters are cleaned weekly and then placed back into the bay, where they'll be able to help filter the water.

Help boost the Great South Bay oyster population

Juan Bonilla Lagos, who was arrested by ICE in October near his Plainview home, was freed from jail after nine months.

Plainview man detained by ICE freed from jail after 9 months 

As boaters set out on the water this summer, they will be paying more at the pump. NewsdayTV's Virginia Huie reports.

Boaters feeling the pinch at the pump 

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